Gudja was inhabited since prehistory, as evidenced by
Ta’ Għewra dolmen. A
Gothic inscription, with Sicilian influence and Greek letters, sheds history on this residence. Though the words in relief are largely unreadable, there are old photographs and documentation on the considerably unusual inscription.
An unusual tower dating to 1780 was built on the spot of a possible
Punic-Roman tower in an area known as Xlejli. A palace, known as
Palazzo Dorell, was built nearby and its garden has enclosed the tower within its grounds. The palace served as the headquarters for British forces under
General Graham during the
French blockade of 1798–1800. The
Baroque parish church is dedicated to the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and it is the
only one in Malta with three bell towers. The most conspicuous of these is the non-symmetric
Neoclassical William Baker Tower. The interior of the church is decorated with
objets d'art. The titular painting is that of the Assumption of the Virgin, painted by Italian artist
Pietro Gagliardi in 1887. The same painter was commissioned for the
Our Lady of Mount Carmel painting in 1889. Another notable painting is
The Death of Saint Joseph, by Italian artist
Domenico Bruschi in 1894. The most important sculpture, found inside the church, is the titular statue of the Assumption of Our Lady, sculpted out of solid wood in 1807 by the Maltese
Vincenzo Dimech. It is the oldest statue in the Maltese Islands featuring the Assumption of Our Lady. Gudja is known for its 15th century
Chapel of Bir Miftuħ. Bir Miftuh was already established as a parish by 1436, making it one of the first parishes on the Maltese Islands. Pre-historic stones are found close to the site, now forming part of a rubble wall. The Chapel of the Madonna of Loreto was built in 1548 by Knight Imbert de Morine as thanksgiving for his safekeeping during a Turkish battle which took place in the area. It was probably built on the same grounds where an older chapel stood. The Chapel of St Catherine, found at Raymond Caruana street, is an Early Modern church on the site of an earlier chapel. Raymond Caruana Street was named for murder victim
Raymond Caruana. His assassination took place at the Nationalist Party Club and was politically motivated. The Chapel of the Annunciation dates to 1754. According to the pastoral visit of Bishop Bartolomeo Rull, the chapel was built on the design of a
Greek cross plan and with a dome. The facade is plain, with strategically placed architectural feats. Flanking either side of the facade, there are two flat, austere-looking Doric
pilasters which are topped by a blank
entablature. The main portal is surrounded with a stone moulding with emphasis on the two corners above the door. Above the door is a triangular
pediment with an arch embedded within. Piercing the facade, there is a window executed in the
Baroque style. This window and a square
belfry on top were added by sculptor and mason Anglu Dalli on the design of Carlo Farrugia. At the corners of the facade are two statues representing
St Anne and
St Joachim, while on the belfry there is a figure of the
archangel Gabriel. These are the work of Antonio Zammit. The architect
Girolamo Cassar, who is known for designing many buildings in
Valletta, was possibly born in Gudja. == Schools ==