 | Mdina Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 91 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (91) According to early Christian reports, the Cathedral is sited on the spot where St. Pauld converted the Romean Governor, Publius to Christianity and hence is dedicated to him.
St Paul's Cathedral is the architectural heart of Malta - in a lovely wide open square so you can get a good view of it. In fact when the Cathedral was built (1697-1702) Mdina underwent a major redesign for this very purpose and several streets and houses had to be cleared. It had a lovely golden hue with the sun shining on its yellow facade - unfortunately we arrived at its door literally as it was closing for lunch so we didn't get a chance to see inside. The interior is reputed to be as lavish as St John's Co-Cathedral in Valleta so if that is the case its definitely worth a look .
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Mdina, the old capital of Malta, is a lovely medieval town situated in the centre of Malta at an altitude of 200 metres above sea level and enjoy spectacular views of the surrouunding countryside and coast from its ramparts. Although smaller than I had pictured in my mind - and also having seen it from the air as we approached Malta - its an enjoying place to soak up the history of this fascinating old capital.
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The best preserved medieval building in Mdina is Palazzo Falzon. The Maltese emulated the architecture of the Scilian nobility when under Spanish rule anfd this style of building is known as Siculo-Norman. It has double arched windows and cornice and string course of triangular corbels. Grandmaster L`isle Adam lived in this place.
It wa difficult to take a close look here as part of the road was closed off due to renovations of the pavements in Mdina during our visit :-(
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Vilhena Palace - the former Magistrates Place is where the keys where given to the first Grand Master of the Order of St John, when they came to Malta in 1530. Much to the delight of tthe nobles in Mdina the Knights chose to settle in Valletta rather than their precious Mdina as it was too far from the harboutr for them here. It has a Frenchy style courtyard and the Place is now the Natural History Museum. Yhe basement was formerly used as a prison and is now converted to the Mdina dungeons attraction - there is a lot youcan see in Mdina!
Seen here is a shot of the doorway though as we decided to see the outdoor sights as usual.
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Not just an ornat balcony her but one with a story as I'm sure most building in Mdina will have. It was from here, the balcony of Cas Viani, Notary Bezzina’s house, that the French commander was thrown, thus beginning the Maltese uprising against the French in 1798.
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Likewise we didin't get to see the Cathedral Musem, situated nearby. This houses a rare collection of coins, silver plate, religious vestments and some woodcuts by the German artist Albert Dürer.
Enlarge the pic though and you'll see the carvings either side of the door that I found really interesting. I'm more into the outside detail such as this.
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Most visitors will enter the old capital of Malta via the Greek Gate. This was named after a small number of Greeks came came from Rhodes with the Knights of St John. The walls of the gate are very old, dating back to Arab times. There are two other gates though and this one pictured here is the main gate - Mdina Gate through which we entered. The third is a hole in the wall where the train used to enter the city.
As you enter through the Mdina gate turn round aon the other side of the gate the three "saints of Malta" are seen - St PAul, St Agatha and St Publius.
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The French won't like the following story, but it's part of our history that makes us really proud. The French ruled Malta right after the Knights of Malta left us in 1798. At first they showed us their kind hand but just after a few months the French started showing their teeth. Napoleon stole all the treasures he could get his hands on, and shiped the loot to France. ( No wonder that the treasures in the Louvre and Versailles are endless !! ) They also ruined all the Knights Coats of Arms from all buildings. To add insult to injury, the French rulers decided to close down most of the local churches and auction their interior parts. That's when the trouble started. On 2nd Sept 1800, some French deputies met at Mdina to auction the Weaved Linen of The Carmelite church. The locals attacked and killed all the French deputies in Mdina and threw the French Commander out of the balcony. Killing him, of course! You can see more photos in this tip section Leave a Comment Directions: First church on the left as you pass St Paul's Cathedral. You can't miss the Madonna niche at the corner.
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Building commenced in 1697 after an eartquake destroyed the prior Cathedral. Stained Glass, Frescos and paintings inside depict the Shipwreck and life of St Paul ( who else !!) . The Holy Virgin with baby Jesus painting is said to be painted by St Luke Himself. He's the auther of Acts of Apostles and is said that he was on the journey with St Paul when they ended stranded in Malta. Anyways, I don't beleive this myself, but it's good to let you know. You should make it a point to visit this Cathedral !
p.s I risked my neck for you VT members, as no cameras are allowed in the Cathedral. Please see the three other Cathedral photos Leave a Comment Address: Archbishop's Square - MdinaOther Contact: Bus 80 or 81
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Noblefamilies desecended from Norman, Sicilian and Spanish overlords made their home in Mdina from the 12th century onwards. Their Impressive palaces line its narrow, shady streets. There is a great example of of medieval and baroque architecture in this ancient walled city. This pic however shows Victorian gothic - a throwback to British rule here which stangely out of sorts it the Cathedral Square.
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Destinations near Mdina- Rabat, 0.66 km / 0.41 miles
- Dwejra, 2.65 km / 1.65 miles
- Mosta, 3.22 km / 2.00 miles
- Dingli, 3.38 km / 2.10 miles
- Attard, 3.61 km / 2.25 miles
- Zebbug, 3.85 km / 2.40 miles
- Malta, 4.31 km / 2.68 miles
- Siggiewi, 4.63 km / 2.88 miles
- Naxxar, 4.74 km / 2.95 miles
- Balzan, 4.95 km / 3.08 miles
» See all locations nearby» Popular Malta locations
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on March 8, 2005
on May 30, 2006
