The Citadel
The Citadel is the ancient fortified city of Gozo. It is one of Gozo’s major landmarks, and it isn’t worth missing a visit.
During the restorations of the Citadel, another prehistoric city was found below the buildings which can be seen today, parts of which were made visible and accessible for the public. The Citadel is a place which is rich in buildings of architectural, military and historical values and is also a habitat to different flora and fauna.
Upon entrance to the Citadel, one cannot miss the baroque cathedral, found in the square, which is dedicated to Santa Marija, which feast is celebrated on 15th August and is a public holiday on the Maltese Islands.
A wonderful walk over the fortified walls of the Citadel would offer panoramic views of the island of Gozo. One can also see the Gozo Law Courts and the Bishop’s Palace. There is also a chapel dedicated to St Joseph, holy niches, houses and churches as well as coat of arms on certain buildings. Some of these coats of arms are original works of Napoleon’s troops who occupied the island at the end of the 18th century.
Below are some places in the Citadel which are well worth a visit:
Citadel Visitors’ Center
The Citadel Visitor’s Center, which as the name suggests, offers information about the Citadel, is housed in the water reservoirs. It offers interpretation in 8 different languages and is divided into 2 main areas. In the first area, one finds an interactive screen and printed panels with information such as the evolution of the Citadel, nature, military history, ecclesiastical history as well as civil history. In the second area, there is a theatre with an informative video about the most striking moments of the Citadel.
Cathedral Museum
This consists of 3 main halls:
- the silver vault on the lower floor
- a collection of varied items in the main hall
- picture gallery on the top floor.
In these halls, one finds a variety of items which were used in the Cathedral for ecclesiastical services, decorations and items which were found where the Cathedral stands today.
Museum of Archaeology
The Museum of Archaeology, housed in a 17th century townhouse which was used by the Knights of St John, showcases different phases from Gozo’s historic periods, ranging from the first people who settled on the island to the Medieval period and everything in between. The items in this museum are related to different aspects of life, such as everyday life, food, art, religion as well as burial customs.
Folklore Museum
Housed in a Medieval Siculo-Norman building, the Folklore Museum showcases a substantial range of exhibits from the everyday life of people from the past, including domestic, rural as well as traditional ways.
The Gozo Nature Museum
Housed in three interconnected houses from the 17th century which were used as an inn and as a shelter for families during World War 2, the Gozo Nature Museum exhibits items related to the natural history of Gozo, its natural resources and their use by the Gozitan inhabitants.
The Old Prison
The Old Prison consists of a block of 6 individual cells and a communal cell which were in use between the mid-16th century until the beginning of the 20th century. The cell walls and corridors of the prison are covered in graffiti drawn by the prisoners, which offer a human insight of those who were imprisoned in this prison.
One of the prisoners who was detained in this prison was Fra Jean Parisot de La Valette, the Grandmaster and commander of the order of the Knights of St John during the Great Siege of 1565 and founder of Valletta, the capital city of Malta.
The Old Gunpowder Magazine
This is a storehouse where they used to store the gunpowder for the Citadel’s guns during the 17th and 18th centuries. Its position in the Citadel made the gunpowder easily accessible as well as protected from the enemies.
The Grain Silos
The Grain Silos were 3 large grain silos which were built during the refurbishment of the fortification which were done in the early 17th century – when the Maltese islands were under the Knights of St John.
When Malta became a British colony, the silos were converted into water tanks in order to help supply the growing population of the capital with clean water, which was achieved by a pipeline from a water spring in Ghar Ilma.
The Battery
The Battery’s purpose was for defensive gunfire in order to protect the fortified walls. It was built as part of the mid-17th century defensive adaptations, which also included the gunpowder magazine as well as the grain silos. This point is a great place to appreciate the Citadel’s fortifications, the city and other countryside views.
World War II Shelter
This shelter consists of 5 small rooms which were cut out of rock in WWII to host 5 families, who used to spend to night here in case of any surprise attack. When visiting this shelter, one can still see the necessities they used when they were staying in these chambers.
St Joseph’s Chapel
This is a small chapel which is dedicated to St Joseph. Before this, there was another chapel dedicated to St Nicholas of Bari but had collapsed.
Being close to Gozo’s only cathedral, the façade of this chapel is simple. Even the rose-window is a simple round one. From the inside, this chapel still has certain details such as an arched ceiling and paintings of high value. The original paintings which were in this chapel are now exhibited in the Cathedral Museum whilst replicas were made to be hung in the chapel.