Gozo’s renowned landmark, Tas-Salvatur, also known as Il-Merżuq Hill

Words by Daniel Cilia

and its imposing statue of Christ, stand as a testament to faith, resilience and the enduring interplay of nature, history and legend in the Maltese Islands. The hill in Gozo known as L-Għolja tas-Salvatur (Our Lord the Saviour Hill) was originally called Il-Munġbell during the Middle Ages. On clear days, this small conical hill can be seen perfectly aligned with Mount Etna, some 200km away from Victoria, Gozo’s principal town. Rising more than 3km above sea level, Mount Etna was known during the Arabic conquest of Sicily as Mongibello – a name derived from the Arabic gebel (mountain) and the Sicilian bello (beautiful). Consequently, the Gozitans named their volcano-like hill Il  Munġbell, meaning ‘the small Mongibello’.

Around 1755, the Gozitan author Fra Francesco Agius de Soldanis included an entry in his Damma, a Maltese-Latin-Italian dictionary: ‘Merżuk’, colle poco distante dal porto di Marsalforno, dal Rabbato del Gozo, in cui ritrovasi, si vede qual Piramide dalla natura formato, da tutti con piacere si mira (‘Merżuk’, a hill quite close to the harbour of Marsalforn and visible from Rabat in Gozo, appears like a pyramid formed by nature, admired by all with delight). Merżuk means ‘a ray of light’ in Maltese. The hill’s sunlit peak, caressed by golden rays from dawn to dusk, often gives the impression of a luminous beam ascending from the fertile fields that surround it. The naming of this striking hillock stems from an old tale of providence and salvation. According to a story passed down through generations in the fishing village of Marsalforn, a fishing boat became disoriented and went adrift at sea under a heavy blanket of overcast skies and dense mist. The fishermen struggled to discern the direction of their island home. Suddenly, they caught sight of a bright spot in the gloom – a solitary shaft of sunlight piercing the oppressive clouds, illuminating the summit of Il-Merżuq. Recognising this as their guiding beacon, they sailed towards the light, steering themselves to the safe haven of Marsalforn.

In heartfelt thanksgiving for their miraculous deliverance, the fishermen erected a large wooden cross at the hill’s crown and began to call it Il-Merżuq. Centuries later, in 1904, this act of devotion was formalised when the island was consecrated to Is-Salvatur, Christ the Saviour. In commemoration, a grand statue, sculpted from Globigerina Limestone by Liberat Borg was raised on the hill. From that moment onwards, it became a renowned landmark known as Is-Salvatur, and the names Il-Merżuq and Il-Munġbell are being slowly forgotten, except among the locals.

Exposed to the relentless assault of salt-laden winter winds, the stone statue began to crumble over time. In November 1960, a replacement was installed: a massive seven-and-a-half-metre concrete figure cast by the renowned statuary artist Wistin Camilleri (1885-1979). This imposing monument stood sentinel over the landscape until the night of 7th January 1973, when it fell victim to a violent storm, struck down by a bolt of lightning. The remains of the 1960 statue are still scattered on the summit. Undeterred by this calamity, the Gozitans sought to restore the hill’s iconic figure. Sculptor and Gozo Technical School teacher Carmelo Grech, with his students, was commissioned to create a new, even larger statue of Christ. Crafted from fibreglass, this new effigy stood 6m tall, with an arm span of equal length. Transported to the summit in July 1979, the statue was filled with concrete in situ to ensure its permanence. In 2014, the fibreglass was restored by local NGO Wirt Għawdex and the statue is now floodlit at night. It is said that Grech modelled the statue on his nephew, who would later rise to prominence as Mgr Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo from 2005 to 2019. On 28th November 2020, Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of Cardinal. Today, Il-Merżuq and its endearing statue stand as a testament to faith, resilience, and the enduring interplay of nature, history and legend in the Maltese Islands. From the easily accessible summit of Il-Merżuq, visitors are treated to breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, the coastline to the north, and Gozo’s Ċittadella on the southern horizon.