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Gozo lies in the middle of the Mediterranean about 90 kilometers south of Sicily. It has an area of 42 square kilometres and a population of about 23,000. It is the second largest island in the Republic of Malta.
Most of the legends have a
recognizable historical setting. Gozo shares its important
historical events with its sister island of Malta. The first
settlers probabley came to Gozo in 4000 BC. The Ggantija Temples
- the oldest free-standing construction in the world - were
erected in 2700 BC. The Phoenicians came in 1800 BC, followed by
the Greeks (700 BC), the Carthaginians (480 BC) and the Romans
(216 BC).
St.Paul was shipwreched in Malta in
60 AD. In the second half of the 5th century the islands were
probably occupied by the Vandals and the Goths. Towards the year
533 the islands were restored to the Eastern Roman Empire. In the
9th century the Saracens repeatedly raided Gozo.
The Arabs occupied the islands in 870
and their rule lasted until 1090 when they were defeated by Count
Roger of Normandy. The Knights of St John obtained sovereignty
over the islands in 1530. In 1551 almost the entire population of
Gozo was carried away into slavery after a Turkish raid. The
Great Siege of Malta took place in 1565 during which Gozo was
occupied by the Ottomans.
The French landed in Malta on the 12th June 1798 and evicted the
Knights of St. John. Three months later a popular uprising forced
the French forces to surrender Gozo. Two years later they
surrendered Malta.
The islands became part of the
British Empire in 1800. Malta became independent in 1964 and a
Republic in 1974.
Maltese is basically a Semitic
language with strong Romantic influences. Many English terms are
also in wide usage. The Gozitan dialect is distinguished mainly
by its pronunciation.
Other
Some years ago it was planned to connect the islands of Malta and Gozo by a bridge and Japanese engineers were called in to carry out a feasibility study. The project was considered technically possible but as the expense involved would have been considerable the plan was shelved. And many people in Malta, and many more in Gozo breathed a sigh of relief.
Should the Island of Gozo become too accessible there is a real danger of teh island losing the old-word charm which Gozo has so far retained, and which Malta Possessed and, unfortunately, lost some half century ago. The sister island of Malta is different from the larger island in that it is more fertile, more picturesque, and far more unspoilt; but what makes Gozo so markedly different from Malta are the Gozitans.
These frugal and tough people seem to be proof against any adversity, their character, like steel, has been tempered in the fire of privations and constant danger and they, and their descendants, have come out as better men from their ordeal.
Malta and Gozo share the same history and historical remains are duplicated in both islands, but Gozo has had more than its share of misfortunes. Largely undefended, the island has been many times devastated by piratical attacks and on one occasion almost the whole of the population was carried away into slavery.
When Gozitans had advance warning of an impending invasion, such as that of the Great Siege, some of them sought refuge in the better fortified towns of Malta and some of the old people were evacuated to Sicily, but as soon as it was safe for them to do so, they always returned home; Gozitans ransomed from slavery also returned home, it never entered their minds to settle in a safer place; Gozitan emigrants who strike it rich in the countries of their adoption likewise return home and build showy houses for themselves as evidence of their success. Perhaps what makes Gozo what it is, is the love and quiet pride of its inhabitants for their homeland. This pride is reflected, among other things, in the size and beauty of their churches.
The love which the Gozitans have for their island is also infectious: many a casual visitor has been enchanted by the island and decided to make it his home and ended by becoming himself a Gozitan (a notable exception being Ulysses who, after a stay of seven years managed to escape from the embraces of the nymph Calypso, who is supposed to have lived in Gozo).
Rustic, and living in the past, Gozo may be, but that does not make the Gozitans in any way backward: opera stars of international repute are invited to sing in teh two theatres in Gozo's capital, Victoria (renamed from "Rabat" in honour of Queen Victoria). For the younger generation, pop singers and music festivals provide the more modern equivalent. Moreover, some of the best brains in Malta have come out of Gozo. Like rustic communities elsewhere, but especially where economic conditions are hard, Gozitans are thrifty, but their husbandry never encroaches on avarice, and their generosity towards worthy causes is always unstinted.
Until a friendship is established, a Gozitan might be reticent, but once you make a Gozitan friend, you will have made a friend for life.
Even if the Malta-Gozo bridge has not been built, communication between the islands is easy and frequented as car-ferries and yachts crisscross the six kilometre wide Gozo Channel.
May the increasing hordes of visiors to that island do not spoil its character and turn it into a smaller Malta.