Located right between Victoria and Għajnsielem, Xewkija is the oldest settlement in Malta’s sister island, Gozo. The village’s name is derived from the term ‘xewk’ which denotes to ‘thorns’ or ‘thistles’. On Nevember 27,1678, Xewkija became the first Gozitan village outside of Victoria to become parish. It also became the first “contrada” area to be referred to as a “casale” or ‘hamlet’.

The Rotunda of Xewkija, a church honouring St. John the Baptist, is undeniabiliy the most acclaimed structure in Xewkija. It was constructed from Maltese stone by local masons and craftsmen, and it served as the headquarters of the Knights of the Order of St. John. Interestingly, it is the biggest church in Gozo, and the settlement is dominated by its dome. Designed by Ġużè Damato, the current Rotunda replaced an older church whose priceless masonry is currently on display at the Rotunda’s Art Museum. Pietro Paolo Azzopardi created the wooden figure of Saint John the Baptist that bears his name in 1845.

16th century historian Gann-Frangisk Abela noted that the area of Xewkija has been inhabited since the very early times. This hypothesis is mainly based on a prehistoric temple at Xewkija. Trial excavations conducted in the meadows east of the parish church in 1904 continued to confirm this hypothesis. The region of Xewkija has been occupied since the Neolithic period. Malta and Gozo were settled by the Phoenicians in 700 BC, and afterwards by the Carthaginians. Punic artefacts have been found within the limits of Xewkija.

The Majmuna Stone with its Arabic inscription was discovered in this quaint town. It honours Maymnah, a young Arab woman who passed away in 1174, nearly a century after the Norman invasion of Malta in 1091. It is believed that Islam was the nation’s dominant religion before 1224. On the underside of the massive marble slab where the text is etched, there is a Roman sign. It was first translated into Italian by Brother Gabrijel D’Alappo, and then into Maltese. It has now been transferred to the Gozo Museum of Archaeology.

The feast of St. John the Baptist is celebrated on the last Sunday of June. At around noon, the marching band performs throughout Xewkija’s main thoroughfares, often followed by a musically timed fireworks show.

Some of the top Maltese stone masons from Gozo come from Xewkija. They are also renowned for their fishing prowess, and the fishermen of Xewkija have preserved the expertise of creating conventional cane fish traps.

The coat of arms of Xewkija has a crimson horizontal strip between two thorns, one above and one below, on a gold backdrop. Xewkija’s motto is ‘ Nemo me impune lacessit, or “No one shall assault me with impunity,”.