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Of all the places to visit in the Maltese Islands, the Gozo Cathedral and its surrounding Citadel has to be amongst the most fascinating.
The Santa Maria Cathedral, with its imposing facade and steep steps, sits nestled high above Gozo's capital of Victoria. Built on the site of an ancient Roman temple, it is a beautiful example of Baroque architecture.
Inside the Cathedral you will find numerous chapels, intriguing art and a flooring made up of marble tombstones. There is also a truly ingenious 3D painting on the ceiling which creates the illusion of the Cathedral having a dome which it clearly doesn't.
Work on the present building started in 1697 and was completed in 1716. Much of the money for the present building came from Gozitan families who were eager to see their Cathedral become a beautiful focal point for their religious lives.
But one of the most fascinating aspects of the Cathedral remains its location - at the heart of a 7,000 year old tiny, fortified city. It's elevated position and the composition of the earth in this area made it a popular place for locating temples and it has been occupied and used by races ranging from the Phoenicians and Romans all the way through to the modern era when first the French then the British occupied it.
Touring both these magnificent attractions couldn't be simpler. An multi-lingual audio guide is available from the Cathedral for a very, very reasonable cost.
The guide covers all the Cathedral's points of interest as well as its museum. Additionally it guides you around the Citadel too.
It is available in English, Maltese, French, Italian, Spanish and German - so there is no excuse not to visit!
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