Citadel, a photo from Gozo, North

Photographer's Note

In the heart of Victoria lies the Citadella (Citadel), formerly known as il Castello, which has been the centre of activity of the island since possibly Neolithic times, but is known to be first fortified during the Bronze Age c. 1500 BC. It was later developed by the Phoenicians and continued into becoming a complex Acropolis by Roman times.

The north side of the Citadel dates back to the Aragonese domination period. The south flank, overlooking Victoria, was re-constructed under the Knights of St. John, namely between 1599 and 1603, after Ottomans invaded the city in 1551. The massive defensive stone walls of the fortifications rise above the town and were built by the Knights to protect the village communities from foraging corsairs attempting to take slaves and threatened invasion of Moslem forces fighting Christendom.

Within its walls lies a fine 17th century baroque Cathedral designed by Lorenzo Gaf�, the Maltese architect who also built the Cathedral of Mdina. It is said that it lies on the site where a Roman temple dedicated to Juno once stood. It is most famous for the remarkable trompe l'oeil painting on its ceiling, which depicts the interior of a dome that was never built.

jjcordier, snunney, jhm, Romano46, timecapturer, macjake, ourania, mkamionka has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

elenimavrandoni (0) 2013-09-01 13:48

Daniel, extraordinary work!!
great composition from Malta, fantastic vertical and a very useful and informative note!
all the best
eleni

carlo62 (81265) 2013-09-01 15:00

Ciao Daniel
bello scorcio, una piccola macchia verde e una blu, il resto � costituito dalle caratteristiche architetture.
Ottima la qualit�, nonostante la difficile luce.
Saluti
Carlo

Urs (14082) 2013-09-01 17:28

Hi Daniel

Excellent POV of this clock tower, avoiding as much as possible tilted wall. Good light and shadow management producing vibrant colour tones with high sharpness.

For the next two weeks I will be travelling with very limited internet access, but after that I will be back to TE on a daily bases.

Warm regards
urs

GiovanniG (3914) 2013-09-01 20:01

Ciao Daniel,
Wonderfully captured with great detail and color. Your chosen prospective with the copula and adjacent building compliment each other well.
Warm regards,
GiovanniG

emka (158128) 2013-09-01 23:55

Hi daniel, Malta I so small but it has so many charming views. My guidebook from Malta is so thick as for instance from Spain.
It became trendy lately on TE. Mariusz was there, now you and also Krzychu.
Lovely shot.

WArm regrads

Malgo

jjcordier (79299) 2013-09-02 0:18

Daniel
Bon cadrage de cet int駻essant ensemble architectural joliment 馗lair�.
Amicalement
JJ

snunney (130967) 2013-09-02 3:32

Hello Daniel,
The honeyed tones of the Citadel walls make a lovely contrast with the azure blue sky. I like the point of view and the superb texturing.

jhm (211736) 2013-09-02 4:19

Hello Daniel,

You shows us perfect the wall and tower on these wonderful picture.
These shows perfect depth and perspective picture.
Excellent composition, nice presentation.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice day,
John

Romano46 (18472) 2013-09-02 4:36

Ciao Daniel
Malta con i suoi colori solari, gli ampi paesaggi e le citt� ricche di belle architetture � un bel soggetto, del quale hai saputo approfittare nella migliore delle maniere per una ottima serie di fotografie che stai proponendo giorno dopo giorno.
Anche questa di oggi non � da meno ed � apprezzabile per nitidezza, luminosit� e bel soggetto.
Complimenti
Ciao e buon inizio di settimana
Romano

Sergiom (117241) 2013-09-02 5:01

Bonjour Daniel,

J'aime beaucoup ce plan serr� sur le clocher ainsi que sur les fortifications. La l馮鑽e contre plong馥 donne de l'ampleur et profite d'un ciel superbe comme arri鑽e plan.

Amicalement

Serge

timecapturer (49288) 2013-09-02 6:11

Hi Daniel
love the real sense of warmth in this beautiful shot. A shot full of glorious textures and wonderful detailing that transmits the age and beauty of these old walls so effectively.

Have a good week - Brian.

Nicou (193806) 2013-09-02 6:18

Hello

quel cadrage avec ce mur sueprbe image et o^compo ert ce clocher qui 駑erge une mervilleux quel bel ensemble et compo.
Bravo et amiti�
nciou

holmertz (102672) 2013-09-02 7:40

Hello Daniel,
Fine buildings with good colours in a pleasant light. The texture of the stones is well captured. A nicely composed picture.
Regards,
Gert

macjake (98454) 2013-09-02 21:31

Hi Daniel
interesting history for sure, well documented note.

looking at this scene, there must be some harsh times during the day! looks like some strong lighting in that sky, too bad clouds couldn't buffer it a bit for you.
bur seriously, what can you do right? nothing!

on the plus side, that strong light beautifully lit your main subject here with such warm golden tones.
and we can clearly see the textures of the stone, like sandpaper.

excellent subject and well photographed in this harsh light.
cheers
craig

ourania (51103) 2013-09-06 10:35

Hello Daniel,
I like very much this close and intimate view from the Citadel, the play of perspectives, the sharp antique textures and the fine range of warm tones that seem to absorb the heat and stand out superbly against the delicious blue sky. You've managed light and contrast in an excellent way and the alternation of lit nad shady areas adds vibrancy and enhances interest. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great weekend,
Ourania

mkamionka (74375) 2013-09-18 6:22

Hi daniel,
beautiful pic from the capital of Gozo. I have passed this town but decided not to stop. It may have been a mistake but I had to make difficult decisions not having time for everything.
I am glad to see your photo.
Nice composition with a wall and lamp making a good intro to the interesting tower. Everything is indeed in the typical orange color.
Very well seen and captured,
M