This historic photograph shows the imposing façade of Gozo Cathedral, rising prominently within the fortified walls of the Citadel in Victoria. Built of finely dressed limestone, the Baroque façade is marked by strong pilasters, a richly carved main doorway reached by a wide flight of steps, and an arched niche above the entrance housing a statue of the Virgin Mary. The Gozo Cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and was constructed at the turn of the 18th century, following the destruction caused by the 1693 earthquake. Designed by Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà, it replaced an earlier medieval church on the site and became the island’s cathedral when the Diocese of Gozo was established in 1864.