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Victoria is the capital town of the island of
Gozo. The name Victoria, locally known as Rabat,
was given to the medieval town of Gozo in 1887
in honour of the famous British Queen's Golden
Jubilee celebrations. At the same instance, the
town was also raised to the status of a city;
then officially known as Citta' Victoria.
The town of Victoria embraces both the Citadel,
the ancient city of the Island, as well as
Rabat, the old suburb of the Citadel. Rabat in
Arabic and Archaic Maltese stands for suburb and
this name was first documented as Rabbatum in a
notorial deed drawn by Andrea de Beniamin on
22nd February 1455. Its motto is A magna maxima
(From great supreme). The coat-of-arms has an
azure background and portrays a shield with
three hills and the letters VR (which stand for
Victoria Regina) on top of the shield. There are
many places of historical and cultural interest
in Victoria and a visit to the Citadel is
considered a must. From these fortifications one
can enjoy a superb view of the whole Island.
Also within the Citadel there is the Gozo
Cathedral and the Law Courts, as well as the
Cathedral Museum, the Gozo Museum of
Archaeology, the Folklore Museum,theCitadel
Armoury,the Folklore Museum,the Old Prison, and
the Natural Science Museum.
 The
centre of the capital city of Gozo is Pjazza
Indipendenza, known as it-Tokk. The square is
dominated by the Banca Giuratale, built between
1733 and 1738, formerly the seat of the
municipal government of Gozo and presently of
the Victoria Local Council. In the mornings,
there is an open market that shares the square
with several open air cafes. The magnificent
St.George's Basilica is located in the centre of
the old town, just off the open air market in
Pjazza Indipendenza. The cobweb of narrow
streets around St. George's Basilica are the
oldest in town and are worth a walkaround.
In
Triq ir-Repubblika (Republic Street), Victoria's
main street, there are all kinds of shops, a
couple of shopping arcades, pharmacies, banks,
the Police Headquarters, the Bishop's Chancery,
as well as La Stella and Leone Band Clubs who
own the Astra and Aurora opera theatres
respectively. In lower Republic Street, one also
finds Villa Rundle Public Gardens which were
laid out by the British in 1910. These gardens,
with a variety of local and imported trees and a
fountain, are an oasis of peace in the hustle
and bustle of the busy town.
Close to the crossroads is Victoria's main
parking area and the Bus Terminus. Other smaller
parking areas are in St George's Square, Savina
Square, St Francis Square and St Augustine
Square. |
