Malta or Puglia for 8-day stay

Hi! First ever post because I would really appreciate some advice. My husband and I are looking to travel to the Mediterranean in July. Although I expect hot weather and a lot of humidity, and understand that this will be a very busy time of year to travel, it’s really the only thing that ends up working out around our careers.
That established, we are looking to take a 10 day trip, including a couple days of travel, to either Puglia, Italy, or to Malta (specifically staying in Gozo). We couldn’t care less about nightlife - ha ha, and we greatly enjoy beaches, but also enjoy architecture and history and getting to see and walk various museums and historical sites and streets. Of course we also appreciate good food! We would want to stay somewhere quieter and probably more rural.

I am leaning on either spending all of this time in Puglia OR in Gozo, and exploring as much of Malta as we can.
What are your recommendations for those of you who have been fortunate to see both of these lovely places?

(And thank you!)