An early nineteenth century view of Gozo

Abstract

The Maltese Islands, a British colony but practising the Roman Catholic religion, were a subject of considerable interest to the British reading public in the early 19th century, and this not only, or mainly, from the religious perspective. The rule of the Order of St. John, the subsequent Napoleonic occupation and the eventual transfer of sovereignty to Britain were the principal reasons for the arousal of such interest. This is borne out by the considerable number of articles appearing in periodical publications during the 19th century in Britain. It was, however, Malta rather than the rest of the tiny archipelago that aroused such interest. Finding accounts of the smaller island is a rare occurrence. Keeling’s account, on the other hand, is devoted exclusively to Gozo and, in its short two pages, narrates something more than the usual wonder at the ancient temples of Ġgantija.