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| Victoria (Rabat) - Capital City of Gozo |
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A visit to Gozo should begin in Victoria, the island's capital. Victoria was named after the English monarch Queen Victoria, to commemorate her Silver Jubilee in 1897. Even today, many locals still call it by its original name, Rabat (which means city).
This little commercial hub with its street market (known as it-Tokk, in Independence Square) also contains the Citadel (known often as the Gran Castello or the Cittadella), an impregnable strategic point which owes its origins to the late mediaeval era, and which was re-fortified by the Knights of the Order of St. John to act as protection for the inhabitants. |
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For many centuries, pirates and corsairs used Gozo's small harbors for shelter, while they raided the island in search of fresh produce and water. Often they took the inhabitants captives in order to sell them as slaves. To save themselves and their families from this terrifying fate, the inhabitants, on discovering the enemy had landed, would flee to the highest point at the center of the Island. |
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| Dominated by the Citadel, a fortification designed to safeguard the local population against the constant threat of piracy in the early centuries. The Bastions offer an unparalleled view of Gozo, stretching almost 360 degrees. During sunset, the view of the Citadel itself and of Ta' Pinu church which overlooks Mgarr harbour, is the stuff of postcards; grab your cameras and capture them if you can. |
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