Gozo

People have lived on Gozo for many thousands of years, and the Ġgantija temples at Xagħra date from the Neolithic period. In Classical times the island was known as Gaulos, and it has long been linked with Ogygia, the island of the nymph Calypso in Homer's Odyssey. Its exposed position made it vulnerable to raids: in 1551 an Ottoman attack carried off most of the population into slavery, and the island was gradually resettled in the decades that followed.

The Cittadella above Victoria was the islanders' refuge from corsair attacks, and after the Great Siege of 1565 the knights strengthened its defences. Until 1637 residents were required to spend the night within its walls; once that rule was lifted, the town below grew into today's Victoria, renamed in 1887 for Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Gozo later came under British rule with the rest of Malta.

Gozitans keep a strong sense of island identity, with a rural economy of farming and fishing alongside tourism. Village festas fill the summer calendar, the Nadur carnival is a highlight in late winter, and Victoria's two opera houses, the Astra and the Aurora, have a long-standing friendly rivalry. Churches are central to community life, so modest dress is appreciated during visits.