Victoria, Malta
Victoria
Il-Belt Victoria Città Victoria, Ir-Rabat, Għawdex | |
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City and Local council | |
Victoria | |
![]() View of Victoria | |
Motto(s): A Magna Maxima (From Great, Supreme) | |
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Country | ![]() |
Region | ![]() |
District | Gozo and Comino District |
Borders | Fontana, Għasri, Kerċem, Xagħra, Xewkija, Żebbuġ |
Government | |
• Mayor | Samuel Azzopardi (PN) |
Area | |
• Total | 2.9 km2 (1.1 sq mi) |
Population (March 2014) | |
• Total | 6,901 |
• Density | 2,400/km2 (6,200/sq mi) |
Demonym(s) | Rabti t'Għawdex (m), Rabtija t'Għawdex (f), Rabtin t'Għawdex (pl) |
Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Postal code | VCT |
Dialing code | 356 |
ISO 3166 code | MT-45 |
Patron saint | St. George St. Mary |
Day of festa | 3rd Sunday of July (St. George) 15 August (St. Mary) |
Website | Official website |
Victoria (Maltese: Il-Belt Victoria, meaning "the city Victoria"), also known among the native Maltese as Rabat (which is the name of the old town centre) or by its title Città Victoria, is the capital city of Gozo, the second largest island in Malta. The city has a total population of 6,901 (as of March 2014),[1] and by population, is the largest locality in Gozo.
The area around the town, situated on a hill near the centre of the island, has been settled since Neolithic times. Victoria is the name given on 10th June 1887 by the British government on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, at the request of the Bishop of Malta, Mons. Sir Pietro Pace. However, many Gozitans — and mainly old Gozitans, still often refer to it by the name Rabat. It is usually known as Ir-Rabat Għawdex to distinguish it from the town of Rabat on the main island of Malta.
Cittadella
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Cathedral_St_Marija_interior_Victoria_Gozo_Malta_2014_1.jpg/200px-Cathedral_St_Marija_interior_Victoria_Gozo_Malta_2014_1.jpg)
In the heart of Victoria lies the Cittadella (Citadel), formerly known as il Castello, which has been the centre of activity of the island since possibly Neolithic times, but is known to be first fortified during the Bronze Age c. 1500 BC. It was later developed by the Phoenicians and continued into becoming a complex Acropolis by Roman times.
The north side of the Citadel dates back to the Aragonese domination period. The south flank, overlooking Victoria, was re-constructed under the Knights of St. John, namely between 1599 and 1603, after Ottomans invaded the city in 1551. The massive defensive stone walls of the fortifications rise above the town and were built by the Knights to protect the village communities from foraging corsairs attempting to take slaves and threatened invasion of Moslem forces fighting Christendom.
Within its walls lies a fine 17th century baroque Cathedral designed by Lorenzo Gafà, the Maltese architect who also built the Cathedral of Mdina. It is said that it lies on the site where a Roman temple dedicated to Juno once stood. It is most famous for the remarkable trompe l'oeil painting on its ceiling, which depicts the interior of a dome that was never built.
Local Council
The current members of the Victoria Local Council are:
- Dr. Samuel Azzopardi (Mayor, PN)
- Josef Schembri (Vice Mayor, PN)
- Anthony Briffa (PL)
- Joseph Debrincat (PL)
- Marcell Tabone (PN)
- Maria Portelli (PN)
- Michel Buttigieg (PL)
Sports
Victoria is home to three football clubs, SK Victoria Wanderers, Victoria Hotspurs F.C and Oratory Youths, and two well equipped gyms.
Feasts of Victoria, Gozo
Five feasts are celebrated in Victoria, the island of Gozo, the two main feasts are the feast of St. George and the feast of Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The feast dedicated to St. Mary, devoted in its Cathedral situated in the centre of the Citadel dominating the whole island is celebrated on the 15 of August. The other one is dedicated to St. George, the patron saint of Gozo celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of July in St George's Basilica in the heart of Victoria.
In Victoria, there is the feast of the Immaculate Conception in the church of St Francis this feast is celebrated on 8 December of every year by the Franciscan conventual friars. A feast of Our Lady of Divine Grace is celebrated as the last feast of the feast season by the Franciscan capuchin frias in the church dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Grace. The feast of St. John Bosco is celebrated in the Don Bosco Oratory.
Notable people
- Censu Tabone, 4th President of Malta
- Gaetano Pace Forno, Bishop of Malta
- George Pisani, Poet[2]
- Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis, Archpriest
- Giuseppe Pace, 7th Bishop of Gozo
- Joseph Farrugia, (Archpriest Emeritus of St George's)
- Joseph Mercieca, Archbishop Emeritus of Malta
- Pietro Pace, Bishop of Malta
- Mary Meilak, Poet
- Ninu Cremona, Author
St George's Parish
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Sudika_San_Gorg_Rabat-2.jpg/220px-Sudika_San_Gorg_Rabat-2.jpg)
St. George's Basilica, Malta, which covers the whole of Victoria, caters for a little over half of the population of Victoria, as it is a personal parish (as opposed to other parishes who are territorial) operating in the city of Victoria. Its parish church dedicated to St George has the status of a Basilica. This church was built in the 1670s and suffered severe damage in the earthquake of 1693. A new façade was built in 1818. The dome and the aisles are of recent construction (1930s and 1940s). There are several works of art in this church which include the painting of the dome and ceiling by Gian Battista Conti of Rome and other paintings and sculptures by Mattia Preti, Giuseppe d'Arena, Stefano Erardi, Alessio Erardi, Francesco V. Zahra, Giuseppe Calì, and contemporary Alfred Camilleri Cauchi and John L. Grima.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Victoria_-_Chiesa_di_San_Giorgio_interno.jpg/200px-Victoria_-_Chiesa_di_San_Giorgio_interno.jpg)
The titular statue of St George was carved from solid wood by Pietro Paolo Azzopardi in 1838 and is the first titular statue on the island. The area over which the church is built is of considerable archaeological interest, with evidence of activity dating back to at least to the Roman period.
The parish celebrates two feasts during the year: 23 April, the official date celebrating the death of the martyr, and the third Sunday of July, when the solemn festivities in honour of Gozo's patron saint are held.
In February 2013, the Basilica opened the doors to its new modern museum, one of a kind in the country. It is the first building built for the purpose of a museum. The Museum and cultural centre, named as Heart of Gozo: Il-Hagar, displays a rich collection of historical and artistic artefacts previously inaccessible to the general public. The museum is found on the left side of the Basilica.
Tourist attractions
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Citadel_in_Victoria.jpg/250px-Citadel_in_Victoria.jpg)
- The Cittadella, including:
- St George's Basilica (St George's Square)
- Heart of Gozo: Il-Hagar Museum (St George's Square)
- War Memorial (Independence Square)
- Banca Giuratale (Independence Square)
- St Francis' Church (St Francis Square)
- War shelter under the Cittadella (Cittadella)
- War Shelter under Triq id-Dejqa (Narrow Street)
- War Shelter under St Augustine's Square (St Augustine's Convent)
Villa Rundle Gardens
These gardens are situated between Republic Street and the Main Car Park in Victoria. One can see in these gardens a bronze bust of the Gozitan 18th-century historian and grammarian Can. Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis and another of Gozo born French poet and writer Laurent Ropa. One can also find a memorial commemorating the invasion of Gozo by Ottomans in 1551.
Churches in Victoria
- St Mary's Cathedral
- St. George's Basilica, Malta
- St Francis Conventional Church (Franciscan Friars)
- St James the Greater Church
- Nativity of Mary Church (Savina)
- St Augustine Church (Augustinian Friars)
- St John Bosco Oratory Church
- St Martha's Church
- Annunciation Church
- Cana Movement Church
- Good Shepherd Church
- Manresa Church (Jesuits)
- Our Lady of Grace Church (Capuchin Friars)
- Our Lady Help of Christians Church (Salesian Nuns)
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (Franciscan Nuns)
- Our Lady of Pompei Church (Dominican Nuns)
- St Barbara's Church (Citadel)
- St Joseph's Church (Citadel)
- Immaculate Conception Church (Seminary)
- Nazareth Chapel (Poor Clares)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Savina_church_gozo.jpg/200px-Savina_church_gozo.jpg)
Zones in Victoria
- Belliegħa
- Ċittadella (Citadel)
- Demnija
- Gelmus
- Għajn Lukin
- Il-Ġnien
- Qasam San Ġorġ
- Sellum
- Ta' Ħamet
- Ta' l-Ibraġ
- Ta' Mliet
- Ta' Wara s-Sur
- Taċ-Ċawla
- Taflija
- Tal-Far
- Tal-Grazzja
- Tal-Maltija
- Tal-Mejda
- Villa Rundle
- Wied Tal-Grazzja
- Kapuccini
Victoria Main Roads
- Pjazza Fuq it-Tomba (Tomba Square)
- Pjazza Indipendenza (Independence Square)
- Pjazza San Frangisk (St Francis Square)
- Pjazza San Gorg (St George's Square)
- Pjazza Santu Wistin (St Augustine Square)
- Triq Dingli (Dingli Street)
- Triq Enriku Mizzi (Enrico Mizzi Street)
- Triq Fortunato Mizzi (Fortunato Mizzi Street)
- Triq Gedrin
- Triq George Borg Olivier
- Triq Għajn Qatet
- Triq Ġużè Ellul Mercer (G. Ellul Mercer Street)
- Triq id-Dawwara
- Triq il-Kappuċċini (Capuchins' Street)
- Triq il-Papa Ġwanni Pawlu II (Pope John Paul II Street)
- Triq ir-Repubblika (Republic Street)
- Triq it-Tabib Anton Tabone (Dr Anton Tabone Street)
- Triq l-Ewropa (Europe Street)
- Triq l-Imgħallem (Foreman Street)
- Triq Mejlak (Mejlak Road)
- Triq Monsinjur S. Lanzon (Mgr. S. Lanzon Street)
- Triq Ninu Cremona (Ninu Cremona Street)
- Triq Putirjal (Main Gate Street)
- Triq Sant' Orsla (St Ursola Street)
- Triq Ta' Kerċem (Kercem Road)
- Triq Tomba (Tomba Street)
- Triq Viani (Viani Street)
- Triq Wara s-Sur (By the Bastion Street)
- Triq Wied il-Lunzjata (Lunzjata Valley Road)i
References
- ^ "Estimated Population by Locality 31st March, 2014". Government of Malta. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015.
- ^ http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090405/gozo/gorg-pisani-commemorated.251673
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Ministry of Gozo - Victoria
- Victoria Local Council
- Gozo Culture & Information Office
- St George's Basilica Museum
- Lehen il-Belt Victoria Radio
- Don Bosco Oratory
- Festival Mediterranea
- Gozo Cathedral
- Leone Philharmonic Society AD 1863
- La Stella Philharmonic Society AD 1863
- St George's Basilica
- Visit Malta - Citadella and Victoria