St. George's Basilica (1678) in the centre of Victoria — the heart of Malta's fiercest parish rivalry. Its baroque interior and the July festa are spectacles that divide Gozo into two camps.
Victoria has two great churches, and for over three centuries a rivalry between them has divided the entire island. On one side, the Cathedral of the Assumption in the Citadel; on the other, St. George's Basilica on the town's main square. Each parish considers itself more important. The dispute covers everything: who has the more beautiful church, louder fireworks, and a more spectacular festa.
The current church was built in 1678 and has been expanded many times over the centuries. The interior is an explosion of baroque: gilded vaults, marble floors, oil paintings covering every centimetre of wall space. The dome, painted in the style of Italian cathedrals, creates the impression of an open sky. The basilica also houses a famous painting of St. George slaying the dragon by Mattia Preti — carried in procession during the summer festa.
The third weekend of July marks the peak of the rivalry. Victoria's streets transform into a sea of red and gold decorations — the colours of the St. George parish. Bands march, fireworks last for hours, and the saint's statue on gilded platforms is carried through the streets accompanied by thousands of the faithful. Residents spend fortunes on pyrotechnics, trying to outdo the neighbouring parish. It is Gozo's biggest celebration and one of the most spectacular in all of Malta.
Practical tip: St. George's Square (Pjazza San Ġorġ) is the heart of Victoria — the perfect spot for morning coffee with a view of the basilica's façade. Free entry to the church.
Free entry. Keep quiet — it's an active church.
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A café on Victoria's main square with Citadel views. Ħobż biż-żejt the size of a battle shield. Explorer Tomasz ordered two.
The Victoria Citadel is a hilltop fortress inhabited since the Bronze Age. In 1551, Ottoman raiders enslaved nearly all of Gozo's population, some 5,000 people.
Lunzjata Valley is one of Gozo's few sites with a permanent freshwater spring. A chapel from 1347 and a fountain from 1698 testify to centuries of significance.