FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT GOZO
~ There are 37,000 Residents of Gozo , they are called " Gozitans."~
~Gozo has all the charm of the mediterranean holiday island , but none of the holiday crowd.
No wonder Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hired a beach in Gozo , to film their movie " By the Sea " (2015)~
~ Homer's island of 'Ogygia' - "the navel of the sea " in the Odyssey- is thought to be Gozo . It was the gozitan sea-nymph Calypso who seduced Odysseus with her honey-voice and kept him enslaved in a love-cave, where he took refuge in her arms , entranced for seven years, until he escaped and returned to his wife, Penelope.
~ Despite its small population, and tiny proportions (only 13km long and 6.5 km wide )–
there are 46 churches on the island !
~The village of Xewkija has a population of just over 3,000, but possesses a church big enough to fit all its residents inside. Xewkija Church’s dome is 75 metres high and 27 metres wide – making it the third-largest unsupported dome in Europe, after St Peter’s in Rome and St Paul’s Cathedral.~
~Azure Window – a limestone arch that has since collapsed under a storm in 2017- was one of the most recognisable locations on the island. It appeared in the TV series Game of Thrones, and has gained notoriety as a cliff-diving location.~
~ The island also appeared in Brideshead Revisited. It was used to portray Morocco.~
~ Diving is popular here – there are more than a dozen dives accessible from the shore,
including the famous Blue Hole and Ghasri Cave.~
~ Ggantija – a 5,500 year-old temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site on Gozo – is believed to be the world’s second oldest religious structure -( 1.000 years older than Stonehenge !)
The name is Maltese for “belonging to the giants” – legend has it that the structures were built by mythical beings.~
~The first settlers here sailed from Sicily, and left an influence that has lasted till today :
although Gozo is Maltese, the food is distinctly Italian! ~
~Fungus Rock, just off the coast of Dwejra, is known for having grown a rare plant – known as General’s Root – which was touted by the Knights of Malta (who ruled the island from 1530 to 1798) as a cure for ailments such impotence.~
~The Knights of Malta ruled the Maltese islands for centuries and left a strong mark. A lot of the structures they built centuries ago are still very popular in sightseeing tours and excursions in Malta.
They brought the hight of European sophistication to this tiny island , baked by the African sun .
Still... it's worth fleeing all the sophistication of Malta , for GOZO : Calypso's wild , beloved island .
~There is no airport in Gozo ~
~ There are 37,000 Residents of Gozo , they are called " Gozitans."~
~Gozo has all the charm of the mediterranean holiday island , but none of the holiday crowd.
No wonder Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hired a beach in Gozo , to film their movie " By the Sea " (2015)~
~ Homer's island of 'Ogygia' - "the navel of the sea " in the Odyssey- is thought to be Gozo . It was the gozitan sea-nymph Calypso who seduced Odysseus with her honey-voice and kept him enslaved in a love-cave, where he took refuge in her arms , entranced for seven years, until he escaped and returned to his wife, Penelope.
~ Despite its small population, and tiny proportions (only 13km long and 6.5 km wide )–
there are 46 churches on the island !
~The village of Xewkija has a population of just over 3,000, but possesses a church big enough to fit all its residents inside. Xewkija Church’s dome is 75 metres high and 27 metres wide – making it the third-largest unsupported dome in Europe, after St Peter’s in Rome and St Paul’s Cathedral.~
~Azure Window – a limestone arch that has since collapsed under a storm in 2017- was one of the most recognisable locations on the island. It appeared in the TV series Game of Thrones, and has gained notoriety as a cliff-diving location.~
~ The island also appeared in Brideshead Revisited. It was used to portray Morocco.~
~ Diving is popular here – there are more than a dozen dives accessible from the shore,
including the famous Blue Hole and Ghasri Cave.~
~ Ggantija – a 5,500 year-old temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site on Gozo – is believed to be the world’s second oldest religious structure -( 1.000 years older than Stonehenge !)
The name is Maltese for “belonging to the giants” – legend has it that the structures were built by mythical beings.~
~The first settlers here sailed from Sicily, and left an influence that has lasted till today :
although Gozo is Maltese, the food is distinctly Italian! ~
~Fungus Rock, just off the coast of Dwejra, is known for having grown a rare plant – known as General’s Root – which was touted by the Knights of Malta (who ruled the island from 1530 to 1798) as a cure for ailments such impotence.~
~The Knights of Malta ruled the Maltese islands for centuries and left a strong mark. A lot of the structures they built centuries ago are still very popular in sightseeing tours and excursions in Malta.
They brought the hight of European sophistication to this tiny island , baked by the African sun .
Still... it's worth fleeing all the sophistication of Malta , for GOZO : Calypso's wild , beloved island .
~There is no airport in Gozo ~