Malta – Gozo – Accommodation in the Early Nineteenth Century

Back to the book written by Thomas MacGill in the 1830s, I noticed his summary of the accommodation in Gozo. It seems that visitors weren’t always as well attended for as they are today. Referring to what was later renamed Victoria, he wrote:

“Only a very few years ago, strangers visiting Gozo, were forced to carry with them not only their bedding, but even the common necessities of life, and trust for cover to the hospitality of some Convent. But such is the march of improvement, that now, within the walls of the citadel, there is an excellent house of entertainment kept by an Englishman named Griffiths, where clean and comfortable beds can be had, and dinners, with good wines, in English style and at a moderate charge. In the town also, there are now some houses of reception, kept by natives and one kept by a man named Filippo is very comfortable”

I am grateful that today we have Google Maps which aids in finding hotel accommodation, I’d dread to return to a time when I’d have to ask the locals “where is Filippo’s accommodation?” in a bid to find somewhere to stay.