Description
The centre of Gozo is home to the Citadel. Located on a flat-topped hill overlooking Victoria, this impressive fortress is a fascinating place to visit. In 1967, a team of archaeologists started excavating, dating and interpreting objects and sites of historical interest, preserving remains and collecting data to help us understand Gozo’s past. Records indicate that the first fortifications at the Citadel date as far back as the Bronze Age. Up until 1637 the people of Gozo sheltered within the walls every night for their own safety due to frequent Turkish invasions of the island.
In recent years, a number of VIPs have visited the Citadel. Our archive footage shows Fra’ Angelo de Mojana di Cologna, the Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, appreciating the spectacular views from the bastions in the 1960s. Some of the buildings inside the Citadel are still in ruins, however the former Governor’s Palace is today the home of the Gozo Law Courts. Extensive work began in the 1990s to restore the tired-looking fortress to its former glory.
Now one of the most popular visitor attractions in the Maltese Islands, the Citadel can be seen from far away, towering over Victoria and the surrounding countryside.
