Within the Citadel, the ancient Bondi Palace, built in the 17th century, houses the Archaeological Museum of the Island of Gozo. This museum was founded in 1960 and at that time was called the Gozo Museum. It was renamed after a renovation in 1989.
The Archaeological Museum is considered the most important cultural institution on the island of Gozo. It displays archaeological finds and various relics illustrating the history of the island of Gozo from prehistoric times to the present day.
The ground floor of the museum is dedicated to artefacts from the Neolithic period, when megalithic temples were built on the island, and the Bronze Age (5200-700 BC). In the glass showcases you can see ceramic vessels, stone and bone implements, jewellery, found during excavations of various settlements and burials. Particular attention should be paid to the objects found on the Shara Plateau and in the temple complex of Jgantija.
On the first floor are relics dating back to the Phoenician, Punic, Roman rule and the period of the Knights of St John. These are ancient coins, marble sculptures, clothing ornaments, oil lamps and religious objects. There are also Punic inscriptions made in the II century B.C. They tell about the construction and restoration of sanctuaries.
The creators of the museum did not ignore the times of Arab rule on the island of Gozo. Here you can see the tombstone of a 12-year-old girl Maimouna, on which is engraved the date - 1173. Interestingly, a pagan sign can be seen just below the inscription. This allows us to conclude that Muslims used for their needs stones left from pagan sanctuaries.
