This is medieval Gozo - The Citadel (Cittadella –as we call it).
The Citadel is a small fortified town located at the centre of Gozo, on a hill overlooking the capital town of Victoria ( named by the British for Queen Victoria but better known among Maltese by its old name Rabat). It is visible from almost all the Island, rising steeply above the surrounding countryside. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that finds its roots in the late medieval era, although it was inhabited earlier in Neolithic times. For centuries, the Citadel served as a sanctuary from attack by Barbary corsairs and Saracens.
After the Great Siege of 1565, the Knights set about re-fortifying the Citadel to provide refuge and defence against further attack. Until 1637, the Gozitan population was required by law to spend their nights within the Citadel for their own safety. In later, more peaceful times, this restriction was lifted and people settled below its walls, creating the prosperous town of Rabat, now known as Victoria.
Thank you very much for looking and for your wonderful comments and fav's on yesterday's picture.
