Gharb

About Gharb

Għarb started as a small hamlet that developed around the middle ages. The word Għarb is the Arabic word for West, as the village is situated in the west part of Gozo.

One can see its ancient history in the centre of the village where some houses have fine examples of decorated stone balconies. Għarb was created as a parish in 1679, a move that gave the village the energy to build a new, baroque parish church between the years of 1699 and 1729, it has an elegant façade that has been compared with Francesco Borromini's Church of Saint Agnes in Piazza Navona, which is in Rome.

The church is dedicated to the visitation of Saint Mary to her cousin Saint Elizabeth. The village square which is a typical Gozitan has become the view on many a postcard. On the square is a folklore museum housing all sorts of memorabilia retelling the Islands' rural history. Għarb lies in some of Gozo's most scenic countryside, particularly at Dbieġi, the highest hill on the Island. Dbieġi is a centre for Gozitan crafts. Within the limits of Għarb is the Chapel of San Dimitri and according to legend, the first chapel was built on the cliffside by a woman whose son was freed from captivity by St. Demetrius. Nearby is the Basilica ta' Pinu, Malta's pre-eminent shrine to the Virgin Mary. It was on this spot in 1883, that a local woman heard the voice of the Virgin and the Basilica ta' Pinu was built. When visiting the village one should pay close attention to the stories of both late Karmni Grima and Frenċ tal-Għarb.