Xewkija Rotunda Church

The Xewkija Rotunda, formally dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, is a Roman Catholic parish church in Xewkija, Gozo, whose vast neo-baroque silhouette dominates the island skyline. Construction began in 1971, but the project had an extraordinary character: the villagers of Xewkija funded it almost entirely themselves and dismantled the previous church stone by stone while simultaneously building the new one around it. The unsupported internal dome measures 28 metres in diameter, placing it among the largest in Europe despite dating only to the late 20th century. Visitors can climb to the dome's walkway for sweeping views across Gozo, and a small museum beneath the church preserves sculptures and liturgical pieces salvaged from the original building.