Gozo
Cathederal
Archaeological
remains prove that the Cathedral was built on the
same site of a Roman temple dedicated to Juno. The
present building was constructed between 1697 and
1711.
The
Cathedral is a fine baroque structure in the form
of the Latin cross and is built entirely from the
local lime stone. The sanctuary was built on the
plans of the Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafa.
A
tall belfry with five bells at the back of the Cathedral
replaces the more traditional and common two belfries
at the front while a 1739 painting on the interior
of the temple gives the impression of a dome when
in reality the roof of the building is flat. This
painting is a masterpiece in the art of perspective
and sometimes it is not easy to convince first time
visitors that the roof of the Cathedral is actually
flat.
Another
attraction of the Cathedral is the statues of Santa
Marija (The Assumption of Our Lady) which was undertaken
in Rome in 1897. The feast of the Assumption of
Our Lady to Heaven is celebrated each year on the
15th of August, a feast day which is also a national
holiday.