Malta: Victoria – Cittadella
The UNESCO-listed Cittadella in the Beaty of the city of Victoria in Gozo is an impressive site – rising above the city with massive fortified sandstone walls like a ship in the sea. The area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age and was a large Roman settlement of Gaulos. The Cittadella was built by the Knights of St John in late 1500s after the previous fortifications were destroyed by the Ottomans. The heart of the citadel is surrounded by three bastions with ramparts, while in the middle stands the 17th century baroque Cathedral of the Assumption. The luxurious interior is full of marble and gold, and if you didn’t have enough of it – there is also a museum with all the religious regalia and treasures – gold and silver artifacts, paintings, and much more. A total must is walking on the citadel’s walls for panoramic views of the Gozo countryside.
