The most beautiful religious buildings Gozo & Comino

Located on the Xagħra plateau, the Ġgantija archaeological complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This complex is older than the pyramids of Egypt and consists of two structures built, approximately, between 3600 and 3200 B.C. They have the shape of two trefoils, one with five apses (the southern complex), the other with four (the northern complex), both enclosed by a common megalithic wall. For the most part, this monumental complex is built in locally sourced coral limestone, with a few exceptions, such as the doors and interior furnishings, which were built in softer globigerine limestone.
The southern complex comprises five rooms of unequal dimensions. In the first room, on the left as you enter, small fragments of plaster washed with red ochre were discovered on part of the wall. This indicates that the rough rocks visible today may have been covered in the past. A number of holes have been made in the original paving and although their purpose cannot be known, it is thought that they would have been used for specialized ritual activities. One of the most lavishly furnished apses still bears the remains of spiral reliefs that were elaborated to decorate the globigerine surfaces.
On both sites, most of the doors feature perforations. It is thought that these may have been used to place wooden pegs, but also, apparently, to block the entrance, if necessary. Note that the walls of the apses are not perfectly vertical, but slope slightly inwards, indicating the presence of a corbel that may have been part of the monument's framework. The sophisticated and complex architecture of this megalithic site testifies to the extraordinary level of ingenuity and creativity of the islanders in prehistoric times. Because of the monumental scale of the site, it was once attributed to the work of giants who, according to mythological tales, populated the islands in forgotten times. This is thought to be the reason for the site's name, since Ġgantija could be derived from the word giant or giantess. A visit to the archaeological park is made all the more enjoyable by a unique panorama highlighting the island's distinctive hilly relief. An interpretation center is located at the park entrance.

Situated between Gharb and Ghammar, the Ta'Pinu church, with its separate bell tower rising like a minaret, dates from 1920. Behind the church, a small ^16th-century chapel was a highly venerated place of pilgrimage in the last century.

On June 22, 1883, Carmela Grima, a 45-year-old widow, heard a voice. The Virgin asked her to recite prayers for her during the three days of the Assumption feast; this miraculous message was repeated several times. According to local history, the Gozitans' prayers also prevented a plague epidemic from spreading to their island. With the influx of pilgrims, it was decided to build a larger church next to the chapel. A collection from all Gozo inhabitants enabled work to begin in 1920. The church, completed in 1931, was consecrated in 1932 by Pope Pius XI, before receiving the title of basilica.

The small miraculous chapel is integrated into the building at the back of the nave. Today, the Basilica of Ta'Pinu is a place of pilgrimage for the Maltese and Gozitans. It takes its name from a man named Pinu Gauci, who looked after the original small chapel.

It is interesting for its neo-Romanesque style: marble canopy, Byzantine cornices, mosaics, stained glass windows and Romanesque bell tower, as well as for its many souvenirs and offerings, in memory of the Virgin's miracles. Plaster legs, crutches and pins no longer needed, extraordinary newspaper articles, testimonials (from World Trade Center survivors, for example) and letters of gratitude and thanks to the Virgin adorn the walls of both wings of the church, from floor to ceiling. The whole is rather macabre, but instructive if you concentrate a little. Pope John Paul II himself came to pray in the chapel during his visit to Malta in 1990, and there are plenty of photographs to remind us of this.

Others show a monument dedicated to Ta'Pinu in Australia, the homeland of many Maltese. As for the widow Carmela Grima, she is in the process of being beatified.

A Way of the Cross has been laid out between the church and a nearby hill where a huge cross is planted.

The Carmela Grima Museum (2 Gharb Street), dedicated to the 45-year-old widow touched by the Virgin Mary's ultrasound, has reopened. It's well worth a visit, and audioguides in French are available. Visits from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Construction of the basilica dates back to 1678, but it was subsequently severely damaged during the earthquake of 1693. Reconstruction is long, because costly. Thus the facade was completed in 1818, the wings and dome in the twentieth century. The basilica owes its decoration to Italian painters: Gian Battista Conti for the frescoes of the dome, Giuseppe Cali, as well as Mattia Preti for his Saint George and the Dragon and, finally, the sculptor Paolo Azzopardi for a representation of Saint George (1841).

Strings are available at the entrance if you have the shoulders discovered. With great luck, you can attend a mass. There are every hour at weekends!

The festival of Saint George takes place on the third Sunday in July.

Located inside the citadel, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption and guarded by two cannons symbolizing the power of the Church, it was built between 1697 and 1711. When it was built, money ran out and the dome initially planned was replaced by a flat roof, with a very curious false dome painted in trompe l'oeil, made by the Sicilian master Antonio Manuele. Our Lady of the Assumption was built according to the plans of the Italian architect Lorenzo Gafà. Like that of the co-cathedral of Valletta, its floor is paved with marble tombs of bishops and priests. You will notice a Virgin who looks like a wax doll and a Christ carrying his cross. These naive paintings are executed in the purest tradition of Maltese religious paintings. The baptistery is made of onyx, a rare yet local material as it comes from Gozo. Every year, on August 15, the statue of the Virgin Mary leaves the cathedral and, carried by a dozen men, goes around Victoria. It is then that the central gate dating from 1956 is reopened (now walled up since the original gate to its right was rehabilitated during the renovation, a condition sine qua non for the inscription of the citadel to Unesco) to allow the monumental statue to pass through exceptionally. The Basilica of St. George is not to be outdone, and the two processions each carry their statue through the streets of the city. This pious competition sometimes gives rise to both comic and dramatic outbursts. One year, on the eve of the procession, the wings of the statue of St. George were stolen, and neither the wings nor the thief were found. Twenty years later, the story is still being told.

The museum. In addition to its collection of religious art, the museum displays a carriage and stones that were part of the cathedral's treasure. You can also see paintings by famous Maltese painters such as Giuseppe Hyzler and Michele Busetti, priestly vestments, as well as gold and silver objects of worship.

The ancient bells of the cathedral are displayed in a niche located in Mdina Door Street (the street that leads to the Craft Center). There are five of them, lined up neatly in order of size. A small sign indicates their date of manufacture (1639 for the oldest), the name of the person who cast them, the notes they play (D, F, A, D sharp, A sharp), their diameter (from 735 to 1,472 mm) and their weight (from 400 to 2,000 kg).

It is the main interest of the village. It is the largest church in Gozo and has a dome 75 m high, with an external diameter of 28 m and weighing 4,500 tons. The Gozitans, very proud of their dome, wanted it to compete with that of Mosta. Although slightly smaller in volume, it is truly imposing, and its considerable height makes it the^third largest unsupported dome in the world. Seen up close, this contemporary building (1951-1971), built in a classical style and to which a flowered alley leads, is even more impressive. The architect Joseph D'Amato and the chief mason Joseph Vella, who supervised the construction of the dome, both Maltese, were inspired by the famous Basilica of Santa Maria del Salute in Venice. Its construction was very expensive, and the villagers themselves emptied their woolen stockings to give themselves this fantasy destined to surpass the Maltese monuments. You will also notice the gigantic door of the building, which measures 10m by 5m. The floor is made of polished Carrara marble and the main altar is also carved in precious marble. In an interior museum, the church houses interesting sculptures from a former chapel. They were made by prisoner artists who, benefiting from immunity on the island of Gozo, used to thank the villagers with some original works. From the museum, an elevator allows access to the dome to enjoy panoramic views of Gozo.

These bells are all displayed in a niche which is located in Mdina Door Street, the street that leads to the Craft Centre. There are five of them, neatly lined up in order of size. A small sign indicates the date of manufacture (1639 for the oldest), the name of the person who cast them, the notes they play(D, F, A, Dsharp, Asharp), their diameter (from 735 to 1,472 mm) and their weight (from 400 to 2,000 kilos).

Dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, this handsome classical building with its triangular pediment is covered in marble. The church is defended by two cannons. Construction began in 1760, but the façade and wings date from the ^20th century.

The first parish church of Xaghra - built in the th century in the north of the village on a promontory - was replaced by a contemporary building. Nearby you will find the remains of Santa Verna Temple, a prehistoric monument with only three levées.

The village developed from the end of the 17th century, when Bishop David Cocco Palmeri turned the Chapel of St. Anthony into a parish church. Later, under the impulse of the great master Gregorio Carafa, the villagers decided to build a vast church, first dedicated to Our Lady of Graces and then to the nativity of the Virgin. The church, with a classical Latin cross plan, was rebuilt, even more vast, at the beginning of the 19th century. But a plague epidemic, which raged in 1814, killing more than a hundred people on the island, led to the suspension of the work. Resumed around 1825, the work continued under the impetus of Father Buttigieg, who became the first bishop of the island in 1864. The church was completed in 1850, blessed on 14 February 1855 and consecrated on 26 May 1878. The dome was only erected in 1892 and decorated inside with the works of Virginio Monti (1929-1930). The church was given the title of basilica in August 1967 and from 2000 to 2003 restoration work was carried out on the bell towers, the roof and the dome. The facade, baroque, has two bell towers, one of which houses a bell weighing almost 3 tons, the oldest of the 6 bells dating from 1770. The clock is by a Maltese artist. As for the marble coverings, they date from the 1950s. Its interior is rich in furniture, sculptures and paintings, with a very baroque style.