Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541557
15 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 NOVEMBER 2025 of two city names op Pietro Pace and Chief Jus- tice Adrian Dingli petitioned the British Governor to grant city status, believing a capital would strengthen Gozo's iden- tity and autonomy. The name Victoria was cho- sen by the residents them- selves, he emphasised, not im- posed by the British. So why do government web- sites insist on calling it Rabat? Azzopardi said this is a mis- take. "The legal name is Victo- ria. It is a mistake that should be corrected. The proper name is Victoria and that's how it should be referred to." He said the council is obliged by law to refer to locality as Ra- bat Citta Vittoria, but insisted this does not override the legal name. And, like any local, he uses both names in casual conver- sation. "But legally, the name of this city is Victoria. Not Rabat Citta Vittoria or Rabat Għawdex, but Victoria." Rabat for locals, Victoria for tourists After a caffeine boost at Cafe Jubilee, photographer James Bianchi and I wandered through It-Tokk (or Independ- ence Square) to ask residents what they call the city. At Cafe Royal, the owners didn't hesitate. "Maltese say Rabat, Victoria is for tourists." His wife chimed in: "Though even tourists are starting to say Rabat." A group of women agreed. One of them said if she's work- ing in Għajnsielem, where there's bound to be more tour- ists, she will say Victoria. Other than that, it's Rabat. Shopkeepers echoed the same pattern: Rabat for everyday life, Victoria when speaking to tour- ists in English. One long-term foreign resident drew a distinc- tion: Rabat is the old quarter, Victoria the larger city. And what do the politicians say? For fun, I texted the PR reps for Alex Borg and Clint Camill- eri, both Gozitans by blood and politicians by poor choice. I caught Alex Borg outside Dar Ċentrali. "Both names have sig- nificance," he said. "Rabat once meant a fortified city. Belt Vic- toria was the recognised name given in the 1880s. In my opin- ion it is more prestigious to use Belt Victoria, showing that it is a city with a recognised name." Camilleri's team is yet to get back to me on the matter. But on Facebook, he tags his posts with Victoria-Rabat and seems to use both interchangeably. The MaltaToday verdict Victoria versus Rabat. Rabat within Victoria. Rubbish bins that refuse to take sides. Our MaltaToday style guide is in crisis because in Gozo, even the names have names. Days after my pilgrimage to Rabat-Victoria, I reported back to the rest of the newsroom. I explained to them that the official name is Victoria, but everyone still calls it Rabat. The local council has to refer to itself as the Rabat Local Coun- cil because that's what the law says. Were we going to stick to what's popular or what's offi- cial? The verdict is this: We're still going to use Rabat as a gener- al rule of thumb. It's the pre- ferred word among locals and remains the official name of the locality as per the law on local councils. Having said this, we might occasionally use Vic- toria, especially when referring to its bid to become the 2031 European Capital of Culture. And just like that, our nam- ing crisis ends not with a grand revelation but something of a shrug. The only certainty is that identity isn't dictated solely by paperwork or plaques. Ra- bat lives in the mouths of the people who call it home while Victoria lingers in the legal text and ceremonial titles. If the is- land itself can live with the am- biguity, the MaltaToday style guide can too. The last time Rabat was used in the NSO Blue Books was in 1887 (top); the first time Victoria was used was in 1888 (above) The score looked like this after an hour of vox-popping