As part of the Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee celebrations in 1887,
Gozo's capital was elevated to city status and given the Queens
name, Victoria. A commerative plaque was hung and a fountain
erected in memory but the name Rabat was still used by the
locals. Similar to the Rabat on its sister island Malta, which
surrounds the lower grounds of Mdina, Rabat in Gozo nestles
beneath the protective bastions of its Citadel. The city is thought to have been inhabited at least since the Bronze Age.
The people of Gozo were left a plaque with a Punic inscription ,thanking them for restoring three temples. The city was fortified by the Romans and the limits of the old walls are still marked by three elegant stone crosses and the still busy cross roads Triq Puitrjal (Main Gate Street). The Arabs it seems occupied the higher ground as it was easier to defend and neglected the lower suburbs. In the Middle Ages both suburbs and Citadel were thriving, close packed communities. Although many of the medieval houses have not survived the duration of time, the alleys and small windy streets have.