The Ciantar family of Gozo : the Għajnsielem-Xewkija connection

Abstract

The second half of the nineteenth century is most probably the most important part of the 1800’s in the history of the island of Gozo. It was during this period that the social, political and religious life of the island flourished to some extent and Gozo attracted the national news on a more frequent, not to say, regular basis. Various events took place during the last decades of the century; in 1864 Gozo became an autonomous diocese. Then, in 1887, Queen Victoria bestowed the status of ‘city’ to the ancient town of Rabat and it began to bear her name. In the 1860’s the first musical societies began to take form and in 1881, two musical bands in Victoria were formally baptised.