Surrounded by a maze of charming old narrow streets and alleys, St George’s Basilica is a historic Baroque church located right in the middle of the capital, Victoria, locally known as Ir-Rabat. Its interior entirely covered with marble and gold stucco, this parish church is referred to as “the golden church of Gozo”. The church houses, amongst other paintings, two works of art by the famous painter Mattia Preti., the main altar piece representing St George with the dragon and the other in a side chapel representing the Holy Souls. However its main attraction is the statue of the patron saint, St. George, sculpted in wood by Pietru Pawl Azzopardi in 1839, which is kept in a niche inlaid with gold mosaic. It was the first titular statue acquired by a parish church in Gozo. St George’s traditional festa, including both internal and external celebrations, climaxes on the third Sunday of July.
