Villages (2)

Santa Luċija is a suburb of Kerċem and takes its name from an old chapel dedicated to Saint Lucy, recorded as early as 1575. The present parish church, dedicated to the same Saint, is invoked by those who have problems with their eyesight.

The Rabat-Santa Luċija road leads to the village square with a typical stone cross in its centre. From the square a street on the right leads towards Għajn Abdul plateau and by forming right after two hundred metres, up to Il-Mixta, the site of the earliest settlement in Gozo.

The street on the left of the church proceeds to L-Għadira ta' San Rafflu and from there, a path in the fields parallel to the cliffs leads to Ras il-Wardija, the site of a Punic settlement that included a small temple. There are still some remains.

Marsalforn is the most popular summer resort of Gozo. The name is a composite word, meaning the "harbour of caves hollowed by the sea". Up to the seventeenth century, before the development of Mġarr Harbour, Marsalforn was the principal of Gozo. The seaside resort is well served with hotels, apartments, restaurants, bars, as well as diving and water sports clubs. It comes to life during the warm summer evenings. Then a festive atmosphere prevails with people relaxing over al fresco meals, and meeting friends on the promenade for walks and talks.

The church of Marsalforn, dedicated to St. Paul Shipwrecked is recorded very early. The present building dates to 1730. Tradition holds that St. Paul, after his three-month stay in Malta left the island from the tiny port just beneath the church. Marsalforn is the closest port to Sicily from the Maltese islands.

A scenic promenade leads from Marsalforn to Qbajjar and Xwejni where a number of saltpans dating from Roman times are still in use. A redoubt dating back to 1620 still stands on the shoreline.

Munxar, a suburb of Sannat, lies on the very southern tip of Rabat and its name is the Maltese name of "bucksaw". The church of Munxar is dedicated to St. Paul Shipwrecked, the same as that of Marsalforn. Beyond the church, a road leads to Ras il-Bajjada and then to Xlendi. The area offers the visitor breathtaking views over the open sea and is ideal for relaxing walks.

Nadur is spread over the top of a tale-flat hill. It's name is most appropriate as it means to "keep guard".

Overlooking the little bay of Daħlet Qorrot, Ta' Sopu Tower was built for this purpose in 1667, however in 1798 French troops still managed to make a landing in Gozo at an area known as Ta' Venuta, a location close to Ta' Sopu Tower, but unfortunately out of its range.

The restored Ta' Kenuna Tower, is used for artistic exhibitions and was built in 1848 by the British to serve as a telegraph link between Gozo and Malta.

On the Rabat-Nadur road, one finds the Gozo horse-racing track and the Gozo scrambling track. The best way to Ramla Bay is by this road. Beyond the village school the road leads to fertile Wied San Blas and Daħlet Qorrot Bay.

On the Nadur-Qala road an area known as il-Buskett, once a very wooded area, was the venue of the traditional feast of L-Imnarja, the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, to whom the parish is dedicated. On the eve of the 29th of June, people used to gather in the area to spend the night barbecuing rabbits and singing to the accompaniment of guitars.

The monumental church of the Saints Peter and Paul was begun in 1760, however the facade and aisles were built at the beginning of the 20th century. The church is entirely covered in marble and has also a pulpit sculpted in marble.

The Gozo Maritime Museum is just off the village square.

Qala is the easternmost village of Gozo it name means "sheltered harbour".

The Rabat-Qala road, just before a lane on the left leading to the village of Għajnsielem, passes over a Neolithic settlement known as Tal-Qigħan and L-Imrejżbiet. There are several megaliths of considerable size still in place.

Also of interest at Ras il-Qala, is a defensive battery constructed by the Knights of St. John.

In Qala, in Triq il-Wileġ, there is a windmill with sails and equipment and another windmill close by is found in Triq Ta' Grunju. The main street passes through the village square and on towards the bays of Iż-Żriezaq and Ħondoq ir-Rummien.

On the way to these two bays one finds the Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The church houses one of the best paintings in Gozo, an oil on canvas of the Conception by Federico Barocci di Urbino. People use to flock to the chapel seeking divine intercession and the walls of the chapel were once covered with ex-voto paintings donated by those who were healed. This chapel is one of the oldest in Gozo. The parish church of Qala is dedicated to St. Joseph and was built between 1882 and 1889, in the baroque style, a style much favoured in the 17th and the latter half of the 20th century.

San Lawnenz takes its name from an old chapel that stood in the area from at least 1575.

On the Rabat-Għarb-San Lawrenz road at the village approach one can find the Gozo Crafts Village. It lies below Ta' Dbieġi, the highest hill of Gozo. The village church, dedicated to Saint Lawrenz, was built between 1888 and 1897, on the site of the old chapel.

From the village square one takes the road down to Dwejra Bay where there is a chapel dedicated to St. Anne. Also in Dwejra is a well preserved watch tower dating back to 1652, built to guard the then famous medicinal plant which grew on Fungus Rock. This is one of the towers that the Knights of St. John erected during the 17th century. Most of these towers survive.

Dwejra boasts of several natural wonders foremost "Il-Ġebla tal-General" referred to as "Fungus Rock" the "Azure Window" and "Il-Qawra" the "Inland Sea". Such is the impact of this beautiful area, that it is frequently used as a filming location for the movie industry.

Sannat lies to the south of the island and its name is probably another Arabic family name.

The Rabat-Sannat road proceeds past the church to Ta' Ċenċ, an expanse of prime interest. Besides the excellent views of the countryside and the sea, there is a great variety of wild plants for the nature lover and several prehistoric remains. The most prominent is L-Imramma Temple, a primitive type of temple made up of a sort of oval court with a series of more or less oval rooms to the north. Other interesting remains are three dolmens.

The small bay of Mġarr Ix-Xini is at the end of the plateau. It is guarded by a tower which alerted the Citadel by firing mortars or lighting a bonfire. The dejma or local militia would then rush to the spot to hinder a landing. Today pleasure boats in the bay encounter no such problems.

The village church of Sannat is dedicated to St. Margaret Martyr and was begun in 1718, and has an excellent altarpiece by the famed local artist Stefano Errardi.

Xagħra rises on a hill in the central northeast of Gozo. Its name refers to the wilderness of the hill before it was inhabited.

On the village approach, from the Rabat - Xagħra road one finds the Ġgantija Temples and about half a kilometre to the north of the temples, there is the Stone Circle, an underground cemetery of the temple builders. The site was first excavated in the early 1990s, but it has since been covered. Further up at the end of Santa Verna street, there is a group of three uprights are similar to the high bench on the facades of some of the major temples, suggesting that another temple might have stood on the site.

Just off the Ġgantija Temples one can visit Ta' Kola Windmill. Built in 1725 and named after an early miller, this windmill is still in working condition. During the Axis blockade of the Second World War, the mill was put to good use saving many from starvation.

Just off the village square one can also visit two small stalagmitic caves, Ninu's Cave and Xerri's Grotto. On the Xaghra - Marsalforn road that starts on the left of the church, the side road to the right, leads to the legendary cave of Calypso, where legend has it that Ulysses bewitched by the nymph spent seven idle years. Once inside the cave the views of Ramla l-Ħamra bay and the valley are indeed breathtaking.

The parish church of Xagħra is dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, locally known as Il-Vitorja, "The Victory", so called because it celebrates the victory of the Knights over Islam. The main attraction of the church is a beautiful statue of the young Virgin Mary, brought from Marseilles in 1878.

In January, a ceremony of the blessing of animals is held in the little square of the chapel of Saint Anthony the Abbot. This is an old tradition dating back to the Knights of St. John.

Xewkija the village of the Rotunda church, takes its name from a place where thistles grew.

At the crossroads (and traffic lights) on the Rabat-Xewkija-Mġarr road, there is a unique windmill. Instead of a square building, it is an eight-sided edifice corresponding to the eight points of the compass and the eight dominant winds.

A most spectacular effort is the parish church dome dedicated to St. John The Baptist. Completed in 1981 and paid for by the 3,500 villagers, it boasts the third largest unsupported dome in the world, coming in after St. Peter's in Rome. The dome is 74 metres high, with a diameter of 27 metres and a circumference of 85 metres. Its total weight is calculated to be around 45,000 tonnes.

Of particular interest is the chapel of Our Lady of Mercy around which revolves a legend about a thief who wanted to steal a golden chalice, but ended up joining a hermit to repay his sins.
Wied Ħanzira, literally meaning the "valley of the sow" is one of the deepest valleys on the island and a veritable haven for the lover of wild plants. It flows southwards from the end of the village.

Xewkija is an active village. It comprises Gozo's industrial zone, where factories produce a number of articles for local use and for export. During weekends, the road that from Xewkija leads to Rabat, Is thronged by football fans intent on an afternoon's entertainment at the adjacent football stadium.

Xlendi is a typical fishing village and a popular summer resort. It takes its name from a type of Byzantine vessel that used to shelter in this port.

Wedged between majestic cliffs, Xlendi is the most picturesque and the most romantic fishing village of Gozo. Before the present high rise buildings, constructed since the 1960s, a white statue of the apostle Saint Andrew, patron saint of fishermen, reigned over the port. It still dominates the little harbour where fishing boats create a colourful collection when they are moored.

The cliffs bordering the inlet on this side can be reached by walking past the statue to a steep flight of steps cut into the rock. From the top there is a bird's eye view of Xlendi. Further down the path, there is L-Għar ta' Karolina, "Caroline's Cave", a natural grotto once used by nuns for swimming.

Xlendi tower, on the opposite promontory, was raised in 1650. It is a massive building that was able to resist gunpowder shots. Its stairway was detached from the main structure and the moat spanned by an elevating drawbridge. Xlendi church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the front section dates to 1868.

Xlendi is a main summer resort. Restaurants line the seafront, keeping the little bay busy from morning till late evenings entertaining their patrons to al fresco meals. Diving centres, hotels and a couple of clubs may also be found in Xlendi.

Żebbuġ is perched on a hill to the north of Gozo. It takes its name from the Maltese word for "olives".

The village is actually built on two adjoining hills, from where the most panoramic views of the Gozitan countryside and the Mediterranean can be enjoyed. On a slope facing Gordan Lighthouse, there was a deposit of onyx. It was discovered by the owner of the field in 1738 and many churches in Malta and Gozo have works of art sculpted out of this onyx.

The village church of Żebbuġ is dedicated to Santa Marija and is literally covered with this semi-precious stone, most notable are the high altar, the choir and the baptistery. Worthy of special mention is the altar-piece of the Immaculate Conception in the chapel in the left transept, known by the people as tal-Virtu, "of virtues". Several folk swear to this day, that they see the radiant face of the Virgin turning yellow and pale before an impending natural catastrophe. It is also said that when some corsairs dared to devastate the countryside, advancing as far as the village, a lady resembling the image of the altarpiece appeared on the spot hurling stones to repel the foe.

The people of Żebbuġ are known for the high quality of their lace, weaving and woolen blankets. The villagers are very proud of their religious heritage, as can be judged from the priority given to the maintenance of street niches. The best is that of Our Mother Of Mercy, better known as tac-Cicri.

Comino and the uninhabited islet of Cominotto, lie midway in the Gozo-Malta Channel. The name Comino is derived from "cumin", a plant whose seeds are widely used as a condiment in Mediterranean and Eastern countries. A reference to the island is first encountered in a 2nd century AD writing by the geographer Ptolemy.

Comino was a haven for pirates and corsairs. Its many hidden inlets and coves sheltered their craft and made it an ideal base for their regular forays on Gozo.

In 1618, the Knights of St. John determined to be rid of the intruders and financed St. Mary's Tower to defend the Gozo Channel and repel the enemy from shipping and finding shelter in Comino's caverns. The Tower houses a small army unit to this day. In the same year, a chapel dedicated to the Return of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Egypt was built. It has uninterruptedly served the spiritual needs of the guardsmen at the tower and the small farming community that still lives on the island.

There are no cars on Comino as it is still very rural. It is best known for the stretch of sea between the two islets, known as the Blue Lagoon. The unique. Crowds descend on Comino every summer when it bays are filled with pleasure boats and yachts.
The island hosts a police station and two hotels. It is also an excellent dive site and ideal for water sports.

The view of Comino, Cominotto and Malta in the distance as seen from the heights of Qala and Nadur, are undoubtedly an unforgettable experience.