Things to see and do Xaghra

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.

Located 9 m deep, this cave is full of stalagmites and stalactites. Discovered in 1923, it is used by the family during the Second World War as an underground shelter.

In the Maltese islands, it is one of the few surviving windmills dating back to the time of the Knights. On the other hand, the grinding mechanism of the Ta' Kola windmill was fully restored by Heritage Malta in 2016. This windmill is named after the last miller in charge, known as Żeppu ta' Kola, who single-handedly operated and maintained it with an admirable degree of diligence and ingenuity. And that almost to the last years of his life. Ġużeppi's exceptional skills as a millwright also proved extremely valuable when the islands experienced a fuel shortage during the Second World War, a period in which the steam mills were rendered inoperable. As demand grew for a constant supply of flour, Ġużeppi not only operated the windmill to grind grain for the local population, but also carried out repairs on a large number of cattle mills around Gozo, which had once again gained in popularity. Ġużeppi's legacy lives on in the windmill, which today houses an interesting display of vernacular furniture and a wide range of the handmade tools he used to maintain it. The Ta' Kola windmill is reached via Via Bambina, which faces a pretty little square characteristic of the island's typical small villages.

The village of Xaghra is perched on a high porous limestone plateau. The infiltration of rainwater has created caves, discovered quite by chance, by digging wells for two nearby houses. One of the family members will show you this cave, 24 meters long and 18 meters wide, located below the house. It was one of their ancestors who discovered it in 1888. He will reveal its existence only three years after he first entered it. During the visit you will discover beautiful stalagmites and stalactites.

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.

Near the Ggantija Temple in Temples Street, this stone circle, also known as the Xaghra Hypogeum, is a Neolithic burial complex. It consists of a series of caves that were used to bury the dead, surrounded by a fortified enclosure. Discovered at the end of the 18th century, it was forgotten, re-buried and rediscovered in 1964. This circular alignment of megalithic stones was once more than 120 m long. Today, the remains extend over about 25 m and some stones are more than 2 m high.

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.