VISIT MDINA & RABAT WITH IVANA!

Hello dear readers! Today I'll invite you to join me on my visit to Mdina on Malta. I visited Mdina with my namesake friend in March 2022. It was three years ago that I visited Malta for a rather long (two week) long holiday during which I explored the island both with my friends and alone. I blogged about some of my visits, but I decided to save the best for last. Mdina has a fascinating history and hence deserves a post of its own.

 Mdina is a historical fortified city, once a capital of Malta, that is still confined within its walls. What to say about this ancient capital of Malta? It has been populated since prehistory and it served as Malta's capital from ancient times to the middle ages.  It's a truly beautiful city and understandably -one quite popular with the tourists. Still, Mdina has fully preserved its ancient charm. Once you step pass its famous city gates, you will feel like you're travelling back in time. 

What did we do in Mdina? Would it surprise you to know that I made some cat friends? If you know me, probably not. Would it surprise you that I found a wonderful vintage shop and bought some wonderful vintage books? If you know me, probably not. Besides wondering around Mdina, mesmerized by all its historical beauty, I also managed to enjoy a nice cup of coffee and a cake with the most phenomenal view imaginable with my friend. After a while, my friend had to leave me to go to work, so I continued to wonder alone, exploring the area outside Mdina's fortified walls. So, I discovered Rabat, a town that adjoins Mdina. I explored it for what felt like many hours, but was probably not longer than two hours.

WE ARRIVED TO MDINA WITH A BUS AND I WAS IMMEDIATELY MESMERIZED BY THE CITY'S GATES

How did we get to Mdina? We simply took a bus. The bus ride felt neither short nor long. If I recall well, there were some nice views around the way as well.  Buses are a great affordable way to get around Malta. We used them most of time while on Malta. I also installed some local taxi app, but I forgot what it was called. Uber is also an option, but this local taxi app was really good. I'm sure you'll be able to find it with google. Basically, the bus rides are reasonably well connected and many people use public transport on Malta. It's affordable and convenient. Obviously, taxis are also an option. If you get tired tired of walking, or it starts to rain or something, you can always call a taxi (as we did during one of our hikes when it started raining). 

The bus ride from Valetta to Mdina is approximately 30 minutes, so as you can see it's not a long ride.

Anyhow, as soon as we stepped out of the bus, I was mesmerized by the city gate (known as Mdina Gate), that are a work of art in themselves. The Old Notable city (as it is known in Italian) was ours to explore. We started our exploration with some picture taking. I posed in front of the city gates and as you can see, there were quite a few people going in and out through these baroque gates adorned with de Vilhena's coat of arms. 

MDINA GATE  WAS BUILT IN BAROQUE STYLE IN 1724 FOLLOWING MONDION'S DESIGNS

Mdina Gate  known as Il-Bieb tal-Imdina in Maltese,  is a sight to see for sure. Its carved stone statues draw in the eyes. The lion statues especially caught my eye, but there are many baroque details that stand out. One of them is the coat of arms of The Grand Master de Vilhena, the man who commissioned the restoration of this main gate in the early eighteenth century. 

Mdina Gate was built in the Baroque style in 1724 following designs of French architect and military engineer Charles François de Mondion, during the magistracy of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena, a Portuguese nobleman that was apparently popular with the local Maltese people. 

A carved stone lion with a coat of art, a statue detail on the Main Gate.

Build from signature Malta's rosy brownish limestone, these gates are also known as the Main Gate or the Vilhena Gate. Still serving as the main entrance into the fortified city of Mdina, these gates welcome about a million and half tourists every day, leading them into the city that has a population of only 250. Who knows how many people have entered through these gates since they were made following the plans of a French architect that found his permanent home on Malta and on order of the Prince of Malta? 

WHEN THE PORTGUESE NOBLEMENT ANTONIO MANOEL DE VILHENA BECAME THE 66TH PRINCE OF MALTA, HE EMPLOYED DE MONDION ON A SERIES OF AMBITIOUS PROJECTS INCLUDING THE MDINA GATE

Observing the beautiful Mdina Gate made me want to know a bit more about two men I mentioned above: a man who commissioned them and the man who designed them. 

I already wrote that the Mdina Gate was built during the rule of Grand Master  and Prince of Malta António Manoel de Vilhena. Did he commissioned Mdina gates himself? It would seem so. António Manoel de Vilhena, this Portuguese nobleman who was the 66th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 19 June 1722 to his death in 1736, appeared to be a more benevolent ruler than most. Therefore, he seemed to had been somewhat popular with the local Maltese people. Perhaps the renovation of the city of Mdina had something to do with this popularity. The history confirmers that The Prince of Malta De Vilhena was an ambitious builder. At any rate, he is remembered for the founding of Floriana, the construction of Fort Manoel and the Manoel Theatre as well as the renovation of the city of Mdina (including these glorious gates).

Now, a few words about the French architect of the gates, who was a member of Knights of Malta (Hospitaller Malta). Paris born, and a graduate of military engineering, Mondion arrived in Malta in 1715 for the first time. At start he worked as deputy to the military engineer René Jacob de Tigne, one of his early works including the second Marsalforn Tower, which no longer exists for us to see. Mondion was admitted into the Order of St. John (a Catholic military order that de facto ruled Malta and Gozo from 1530 and 1798) as a Cavaliere di Grazia, thus making Malta his permeant home. Mondion is mostly remembered by his work on Malta. This opportunity to work came when the Prince of Malta, the Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena was appointed in 1722. Fueled by the Prince of Malta's building and renovating ambitions,  Mondion designed a number of Baroque buildings, including the Main Gate, the portal of Greeks Gate, the Torre dello Standardo, Palazzo Vilhena, the Banca Giuratale and the Corte Capitanale. Moreover, Mondion also worked on several fortifications in the Maltenese islands, on the construction or modifications of the Floriana Lines, Fort Manoel, the fortifications of Birgu and the Santa Margherita Lines. Mondion designed several gates within these fortifications, including Porte des Bombes and St. Helen's Gate, and would probably designed a lot more had he not died unexpectedly in 1733 as a still relatively young man. 

So, as you could have read- it was the collaboration between these two men that resulted in the present baroque look of the Mdina gate. I forgot to mention the main reason for this renovation. In 1693, there was a strong earthquake that damaged much of Mdina so many of its buildings were rebuilt in Baroque style. So, this explains why the Prince on whose order these gates were destroyed was popular. He was not rebuilding Malta out of boredom, but out of necessity, fixing what was damaged by the earthquake and perhaps trying to bring the island to the glory it deserved.

Besides this main gate, there are two more gates in Mdina: the Greek gate and Gharrein Gate. As I mentioned, Mondion also designed the portal of Greeks gate.  On the other hand, the Gharrein Gate was build in the nineteenth century to endure entrance to Mdina Railway Station. Apparently, the Mdina Railway station was only active for a couple of decades, opening in 1880ties  and closing in 1930ties when buses took over. I also found information online about The Railway Station being turned into a restaurant. I wonder if it is the same restaurant I visited. If it was, I was not made aware of it.

MDINA IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE SILENT CITY

Mdina is known as the silent city (Il-Belt Siekta in Maltese) for a number of reason. As I already said, it has a population of only 250. Presently, no cars are allowed, adding to the general quietness of the place. However, Mdina has been known as the silent city for quite some time, perhaps even since it stopped being the capital. The nickname follows mostly from its small population it seems. Supposedly, when Mdina stopped being the capital, most people have moved out and it exodus lead to it being called not just a silent town, but a city of ghosts or a ghost city. Today one could hardly call it that, as it is visited by a million and half tourists annually. However, as I said, it is still a silent city as there's no traffic and it is generally quite quiet. Yes, there are tourists, but the place isn't overcrowded. At least it wasn't when we visited in March 2022. Perhaps the best time to visit it is around that time, early Spring when it's warm enough to explore its outdoors, but still very peaceful and uncrowded. 

PASSING THROUGH THE MAIN GATES FEELS LIKE GOING BACK IN HISTORY

Passing through Mdina gate, I definitely felt like I stopped back in time. The absence of traffic and the gorgeous historical architecture adds to the feeling of antiquity. The Old City is as gorgeous as you can imagine, with its signature Malta's brownish limestone and European Baroque architecture! There are many historical buildings and sites to see withing the Old City/ Notable City (also known by its Italian names Città Vecchia / Città Notabile). 

ONE MUST MAKE CAT FRIENDS WHENEVER ONE GOES, OF COURSE !

I stopped to pose by one of Mdina gorgeous gates, only to stop by posing to make a cat friend. I'm not the least superstitious when it comes to black cats. In fact, I love them more than any other cats. I believe black cats deserve extra love because of their suffering. If you ask me, black cats bring good luck. I certainly had good luck visiting Mdina. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring it. Everything about the visit was more than pleasant and I enjoyed exploring Rabat as well. So, you could say that the black cat definitely brought me luck!

The human population in Mdina is only 250. I don't know about the cat population, but I can testify they are very friendly. A little google search informed me that the population of Malta counts 500 000 people and 100 000 cats. It seems that the Maltese love their cats. Honestly, I didn't know that there were so many cats on Malta. I did come across quite a few, but I never counted them. This gorgeous black cat from Mdina will remain my favourite. Look how shiny its fur is. I think this cat is well taken care of. 

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY MDINA VISIT WAS THE CHARITY SHOP I BOUGHT A NUMBER OF VINTAGE BOOKS FROM!

I was happy to discover a vintage shop within the city's wall. Now,  I must admit that I forgot the name of this charity shop and I forgot to keep the receipt. However, I googled it and I found a recommendation for  a charity shop in Mdina it on trip adviser. I'm assuming that it's the shame shop. On the site, it says that this charity shop is connected to the church. I think that's the one I visited. At any rate, there doesn't seem to be another charity shop in Mdina, so I'm sure you'll easily find it as Mdina isn't big and you can always ask around. Anyhow, I can really recommend this charity shop.

The owner was a really friendly guy who was more than happy to chat with everyone. He even made an illustration for my friend (that she decided to gift to her sister if I recall well). The owner was also happy to talk to me in Italian, although my Italian is far from perfect, that is, at an intermediate level at best. Anyway this vintage /second hand shop was a joy to wonder, it contained so many fun articles. I'm sure this charity shop hides many treasured. I mostly focused on books, though. I bought a couple of books in Italian: a vintage copy of a Catholic biography of a saint, a couple of Italian vintage travel books and vintage copies of Italian classics:  Il Gattapardo and Il Piacere (that I have reviewed on this blog in the meantime). I actually reviewed Il Piacere/ The Pleasure in 2021, so the photographs are of a newer copy, but I have the vintage one now!

That was not the end of my book purchases, I also bough a copy of Isaac Asimov Foundation and Empire in a charity bookshop in Rabat (just outside Mdina). 

A charity shop one could get lost in!

Who else likes this kind of charity shops where you can happen at anything?

Back to the subject of Mdina. I said its history is long and fascinating. Here's a bit more information from wikipedia : " Mdina (Maltese: L-Imdina [lɪmˈdiːnɐ]; Italian: Medina)....a  natural redoubt, the area of the city has been inhabited since prehistory. A Phoenician colony known as Ann (Phoenician: 𐤀𐤍𐤍‎, ʾNN) was established around the 8th century BC, sharing its name with the island and presumably acting as its capital. During the Punic Wars, the town was acquired by the Romans and renamed Melita (Ancient Greek: Μελίτη, Melítē) after the Greek and Latin name for the island, probably taken from the Punic port at Cospicua on the Grand Harbour. Greco-Roman Melite was larger than present-day Mdina. It was reduced to its present size during the period of Byzantine or Arab rule. Following a 9th-century massacre, the area was largely uninhabited until its refounding in the 11th century as Madīnah, from which the town's current name derives. Mdina then continued to serve as the capital of Malta until the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530, who used Birgu instead. Mdina experienced a period of decline over the following centuries, although it saw a revival in the early 18th century during which several Baroque buildings were erected.Largely maintaining its medieval character, Mdina remained the centre of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities and property continues to largely be passed down from families and from generation to generation. It never regained its pre-1530 importance, however, giving rise to the popular nickname the "Silent City" by both locals and visitors.

Mdina is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and it is now one of the main tourist attractions in Malta.

The plateau on which Mdina is built has been inhabited since prehistory, and by the Bronze Age it was a place of refuge since it was naturally defensible. The Phoenicians established a colony at the site, known as Ann after their name for the island, around the 8th century BC. The Roman Republic captured Malta in 218 BC, early in the Second Punic War. They continued to use Mdina as their centre of administration but renamed it Melita after the Greek and Latin name for the island, probably taken from the main Punic port on the Grand Harbour. The Punico-Roman city was about three times the size of present-day Mdina, extending into a large part of modern Rabat.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked on Malta in AD 60, greeted by its governor Publius, and miraculously cured the governor's sick father before leaving. Christian legend holds that the population of Malta then converted to Christianity, with Publius becoming Bishop of Malta and then Bishop of Athens before being martyred in 112. Very few remains of the Punico-Roman city survive today. The most significant are the ruins of the Domus Romana, in which several well-preserved mosaics, statues and other remains were discovered. Remains of the podium of a Temple of Apollo, fragments of the city walls and some other sites have also been excavated."

NOTABLE SIGHTS TO SEE IN MDINA: THE GATES, FORTIED WALLS, THE PALAZZOS AND THE ST.PAULS' CATHEDRAL

We wondered Mdina for quite some time, but we didn't enter into any of its historical buildings and churches. We did our sightseeing out in the open. I admired the city's cathedral only from outside. 

ST.PAUL'S CATHEDRAL IS ONE OF THE MAIN HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS 

According to wikipedia, "The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Paul (Maltese: Il-Katidral Metropolitan ta' San Pawl), commonly known as St Paul's Cathedral or the Mdina Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in Mdina, Malta, dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle. The cathedral was founded in the 12th century, and according to tradition it stands on the site where Roman governor Publius met St. Paul following his shipwreck on Malta. The original cathedral was severely damaged in the 1693 Sicily earthquake, so it was dismantled and rebuilt in the Baroque style to a design of the Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà between 1696 and 1705. The cathedral is regarded as Gafà's masterpiece. The cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta, and since the 19th century this function has been shared with St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta."

I took a few photographs of Saint Paul's cathedral. As you can see, it's an imposing baroque structure whose dome dominates the skyline of Mdina. Therefore, I think it could be said that this cathedral is one of the symbols of Mdina. Browsing through my photographs, I also found a back view of the cathedral or rather the view of the dome that can be seen in the photograph below. This photograph was taken while we were exploring the fortified walls and it captures the famous dome of Saint Paul's cathedral!

The dome of Saint Paul's cathedral is visible from various spots

The cathedral has a Latin cross plan consisting of a vaulted nave, two aisles and two side chapels.Most of the cathedral's floor consists of inlaid tombstones or commemorative marble slabs, similar to those found at St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta and the Cathedral of the Assumption in Victoria, Gozo. The remains of several bishops and canons, as well as laymen from noble families, are buried in the cathedral. Some of the marble used to decorate the cathedral was taken from the Roman ruins of Carthage and Melite. Sculptors and other artists whose work decorates the cathedral include Giuseppe Valenti, Claudio Durante, Alessandro Algardi and Vincent Apap.

a view of Saint Paul's cathedran in Mdina from the front 

Cited from wikipedia: "St. Paul's Cathedral is built in the Baroque style, with some influences from native Maltese architecture. The main façade is in St. Paul's Square (Maltese: Pjazza San Pawl or Misraħ San Pawl), and it is set on a low parvis approached by three steps. The façade is cleanly divided into three bays by pilasters of Corinthian and Composite orders. The central bay is set forward, and it contains the main doorway, which is surmounted by the coats of arms of the city of Mdina, Grand Master Ramon Perellos y Roccaful and Bishop Davide Cocco Palmieri, all of which were sculpted by Giuseppe Darmanin. The coloured coat of arms of the incumbent archbishop (presently Charles Scicluna) is located just below the arms of Mdina. A round-headed window is set in the upper story above the doorway, and the façade is topped by a triangular pediment. Bell towers originally containing six bells are located at both corners of the façade. It has an octagonal dome, with eight stone scrolls above a high drum leading up to a lantern."

The cathedral also has a rich interior, but we didn't manage to explore it this time. Maybe next time. 

ANOTHER NOTABLE SIGHT IS THE VILHENA PALACE 

According to wikipedia: "Vilhena Palace (Maltese: Il-Palazz De Vilhena; Italian: Palazzo Vilhena), also known as the Magisterial Palace (Maltese: Palazz Maġisterjali) and Palazzo Pretorio, is a French Baroque palace in Mdina, Malta. It is named after António Manoel de Vilhena, the Grand Master who commissioned it. It was built between 1726 and 1728 to designs of the French architect Charles François de Mondion, on the site of the meeting place of the Università. The palace was used a hospital in the 19th and 20th centuries, and it became known as Connaught Hospital after 1909. Since 1973, it has been open to the public as Malta's National Museum of Natural History."

PALAZZO FALSON, A MEDIEVAL TOWNHOUSE IS WORTHY OF A VISIT AS WELL!

Browsing through my photographs, I realized that I captured Palazzo Folsen! What makes this photograph even better is that there was a carriage driving next to it. As you know, cars are banned in Mdina, but horses as welcome. Some tourists choose to ride in carriages. While we didn't drive in a carriage, we admired the beautiful horses and carriages. 

Mdina is car free but animal friendly!

Cited from wiki: Palazzo Falson, formerly known as Palazzo Cumbo-Navarra, Casa dei Castelletti, and the Norman House, is a medieval townhouse... It was built as a family residence by the Maltese nobility, and is named after the Falson family. It is presently open to the public as a house-museum with seventeen rooms of historic domestic belongings and a number of antique collections. The building is believed to have been built around 1495, probably incorporating parts of a 13th-century building. This makes it the second oldest building in Mdina, after the ground floor of Palazzo Santa Sofia. During the rule of the Order of St. John, the building might have received Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, the first Grand Master in Malta. The building was further enlarged in the mid-16th century. Its architect is unknown, but the distinctive upper floor windows might be the work of Jacobo Dimeg. Palazzo Falson was acquired by Olof Frederick Gollcher in the 20th century, and he restored and altered parts of the building. It is now owned by a foundation established by Gollcher, and since 2007 it has been open to the public as the Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum, which is managed by the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, a Maltese heritage foundation. It displays permanent collections which originally belonged to Gollcher, and occasionally other temporary exhibits from private collections.The building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925. It has been a Grade 1 scheduled property since 1992, and is on the list of the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.

a carriage driving next to Palazzo Folson

Other notable palazzo-s to see to include Palazzo Santa Sogia and Palazzo Constanzo. 

Palazzo Santa Sofia is a palace located in Villegaignon Street, across the square from the cathedral. Its ground floor was built in 1233, and it is believed to be the oldest surviving building in the city. The upper floor is of a much later construction, being built in the 20th century.

Palazzo Costanzo  is a palace situated on Villegaignon Street. It was formerly the residence of a noble Sicilian family, having been constructed in 1666 by Tomaso Costanzo. The building, which is intact and well maintained, was later converted into a restaurant. It also hosts the Medieval Times Show, which provides an insight into local life in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Bastion square Mdina 

OTHER PLACES TO SEE IN MDINA INCLUDE

THE ARCHBISHOP'S PALACE

The Archbishop's Palace (Maltese: Il-Palazz tal-Arċisqof), known prior to 1944 as the Bishop's Palace (Maltese: Il-Palazz tal-Isqof), is a palatial building in which is a residence of the Archbishop of Malta. It was constructed in the early 18th century, and it is located close to St Paul's Cathedral and the Mdina Cathedral Museum.

The Archbishop's Palace

The statue of Virgin Mary at the entrance of the Carmelite Church in Mdina

THE CARMELITE CHURCH- information cited from https://www.carmelitepriory.org/the-priory/the-carmelite-church/ "In the first Carmelite settlement on Mount Carmel, the oratory or church was the architectural centre of the Hermitage. While later foundations rarely retained this architectural setup, the church is still the spiritual centre of every Carmelite community. The Friars gather daily in the church for the celebration of the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours (formerly called Divine Office) at different hours of the day. The church is also the place where they minister to God’s people, celebrating the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance and preaching. The first Carmelites dedicated their church on Mt Carmel to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. By doing this, they were in fact choosing her as Patroness of the Order. Their spiritual heirs throughout the centuries continued to dedicate most of their churches to her. The Carmelite Church at Mdina is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin. The Church was built between 1660 and 1675 and is believed to have been designed by the French military engineer Mederico Blondel des Croisettes (1628-1698). It is one of the most important centralized churches in Maltese Baroque architecture and was the first church to be built in Malta to an elliptical plan."

OTHER CHURCHES AND BUILDINGS WORTH MENTIONING INCLUDE: 

Corte Capitanale (city hall), St. Agatha's Chapel, St. Nicholas' Chapel, St Roque's Church, Mdina Dungeons, Carmelite Church & Convent and St Peter's Church and Monastery.

Look at those green fields! We'd been  blessed with a sunny day on our visit to Mdina.

 

THE FORTIFIED CITY WALLS ARE NOT ONLY AN ATTRACTION IN THEMSELVES, BUT THEY OFFER STUNNING VIEWS

The fortifications of Mdina (Maltese: Is-Swar tal-Imdina) are a series of defensive walls which surround Mdina, the former capital city of Malta from antiquity to the medieval period. The city was founded as Maleth by the Phoenicians in around the 8th century BC, and it later became part of the Roman Empire under the name Melite. The ancient city was surrounded by walls, but very few remains of these have survived.

The city walls were rebuilt a number of times, including by the Byzantine Empire in around the 8th century AD, the Arabs in around the 11th century, and the Kingdom of Sicily in the medieval period until the 15th century. Most of the extant fortifications were built by the Order of Saint John between the 16th and 18th centuries.

The city has withstood a number of sieges, and it was defeated twice – first by the Aghlabids in 870 and then by Maltese rebels in 1798. Today, the city walls are still intact except for some outworks, and they are among the best preserved fortifications in Malta. Mdina has been on Malta's tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998.

How gorgeous is this pine tree? 

I definitely recommend a walk on Mdina's fortified walls. As I already said, the views are stunning. It's very serene here as well. As the photographs will show you, there were hardly any people around. In the city's centre there were people and tourists, but it still didn't feel crowded.

The city walls were almost absolutely empty. We saw only a handful of people on our walk. We had this feeling of having the place to ourselves. 

MDINA (CITTA' VECCHIA) IS UNDER PROTECTION OF UNESCO 

Malta's government made their submission in 1998 and the Mdina city is now under protection of Unesco (more details available on the official Unesco site from where I will cite information as well)

CITED FROM UNESCO (LINK ABOVE) 

Description

Mdina is situated high above terraced fields thus dominating the rural skyline. It attracts large amounts of visitors mostly foreigners (about 80,000 each year). 

Mdina contributes greatly to the glorious heritage of the Maltese Islands with its original setting of Baroque palaces and churches and so it deserves every degree of protection possible to ensure its survival for the benefit of both future generations and national pride.

Mdina is only one of the surviving place names. 

The city has been renamed according to the various periods in local history. 

Other names were Melita (Roman occupation), Medina (Arabic occupation), Citta Notabile (Knights of St. John) and Citta Vecchia (after Valletta was built). 

This city was the home town of the Maltese nobility before the 1565 Siege as well as the capital city of the Islands. 

Considerable building took place during the reign of Grand Master Vilhena. 

The urban form it was built upon is the one still standing to the present day. 

Today it is also referred as the Silent City since it inspires tranquility at any time of the day or night.

The origins of Mdina are attested in ancient texts and identified with Roman Melite. 

The township of Mdina is a fortified hill-top urban settlement located at the very heart of the Maltese Islands. 

In existence since the Bronze Age, Mdina has acted for almost two millennia as the administrative and political capital of the Maltese Islands. 

It is to this day the scat of the Malta episcopacy.

The history of this township has been archaeologically documented to date back to the Bronze Age, even though no major structural remains pertaining to this period have been located as yet.

 The arrival of Phoenician colonizers on the Maltese Islands in the 8th Century BC gave added impetus to this particular settlement, which developed in importance far more than any of the surrounding Bronze Age settlements. 

By Hellenistic/Early Roman times - 5th to 1st Centuries BC - the township had developed considerably covering an area which is considerably larger than the current extent of Mdina.

The classical town of Mdina - then known by its ancient name of Melita - is documented by ancient authors as well as by the archaeological record as having contained various fine patrician houses and public monuments. 

Important artistic remains - statuary and mosaics - have been discovered over the last two centuries that testify the high standard of cultural achievement enjoyed by this provincial Hellenistic town.

It is most likely that since the 5th/4th Century BC Melita/Mdina also acted as the administrative capital of the Maltese Islands.

The town was drastically scaled down in size in the course of the medieval centuries going from the 7th to the 12th Centuries AD. In this period Melita/Mdina was taken over successively by Byzantines, Arabs and Normans - all of which added their own contribution to the town's present layout. However it appears to have retained its political prominence within the Maltese Islands.

One of the most important contributions of the Islamic occupation is Mdina's street system, which is organised into a series of alleys and winding thoroughfares - a feature which is very characteristic of medieval Islamic urbanism in the Maghreb and in Sicily. 

Later Christian/Feudal insertions into the urban fabric of Mdina included the Bishop's Seat and Cathedral and a Royal military strongpoint.

The defenses of Mdina were also entirely re-modeled in the middle-ages in conformity with the medieval defensive practices of the period - this included the use of dry ditches, square and round towers, barbicans, drawbridges etc. Most of these medieval defenses are no longer visible, but survive as part of the town's archaeological record.

After 1530 Mdina stopped acting as the political centre of the Maltese Islands, which was moved towards the Island's principal harbour area.

In the 18th Century Mdina witnessed a further radical redevelopment with the insertion of fine Baroque architectural elements within the urban fabric. 

The key innovation was the rebuilding of the Cathedral itself, which still constitutes one of Malta's finest baroque buildings to be designed by a Maltese architect. 

Important modifications were also carried out to the town's fortifications with the insertion of expanded moats, demi-bastions, artillery platforms and extensive outworks. 

The majority of Mdina's baroque heritage is still in good condition today and largely accessible to the general public.

Rabat and Mdina areas are also being proposed to be designated as an Area of Archaeological Importance.

Mdina has been designed an Urban Conservation Area due to its historical and architectural character. This conforms with Structure Plan policy UCO 1 which seeks to protect and enhance the most important areas of townscape value.

I don't know about you but I find the medieval history and Knight rule of Malta fascinating, this is what wikipedia says about those turbulent times:  "At some point following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, a retrenchment was built within the city, reducing it to its present size. This was done to make the city's perimeter more easily defensible, and similar reductions in city sizes were common around the Mediterranean region in the early Middle Ages. Although it was traditionally assumed that the retrenchment was built by the Arabs, it has been suggested that it was actually built by the Byzantine Empire in around the 8th century, when the threat from the Arabs increased. In 870, Byzantine Melite, which was ruled by governor Amros (probably Ambrosios), was besieged by Aghlabids led by Halaf al-Hādim. He was killed in the fighting, and Sawāda Ibn Muḥammad was sent from Sicily to continue the siege following his death. The duration of the siege is unknown, but it probably lasted for some weeks or months. After Melite fell to the invaders, the inhabitants were massacred, the city was destroyed and its churches were looted. Marble from Melite's churches was used to build the castle of Sousse (Ribat of Sousse, Tunisia). According to Al-Himyarī, Malta remained almost uninhabited until it was resettled in 1048 or 1049 by Muslims from Sicily and their slaves, who built a settlement called Madina on the site of Melite. Archaeological evidence suggests that the city was already a thriving Muslim settlement by the beginning of the 11th century, so 1048–49 might be the date when the city was officially founded and its walls were constructed. The layout of the new city was completely different to that of ancient Melite. Some aspects of present-day Mdina's layout, such as its narrow and maze-like streets, may still reflect the legacy of this period and share some similarities with historic North African medinas. The Byzantines besieged Medina in 1053–54, but were repelled by its defenders. The city surrendered peacefully to Roger I of Sicily after a short siege in 1091, and Malta was subsequently incorporated into the County and later the Kingdom of Sicily, being dominated by a succession of feudal lords. A castle known as the Castellu di la Chitati was built on the southeast corner of the city near the main entrance, probably on the site of an earlier Byzantine fort. In the 12th century, the town's fortifications were rebuilt and expanded. By this time, the city had also been reduced to around its present-day size. The area to the south that had formerly been part of Roman Melite, now situated outside the city walls, was turned into a suburb, present-day Rabat.

The population of Malta during the fifteenth century was about 10,000, with town life limited to Mdina, Birgu and the Gozo Citadel. Mdina was comparatively small and partly uninhabited and by 1419, it was already outgrown by its suburb, Rabat.Under Aragonese rule, local government rested on the Università, a communal body based in Mdina, which collected taxation and administered the islands' limited resources. At various points during the fifteenth century, this town council complained to its Aragonese overlords that the islands were at the mercy of the sea and the saracens.

The city withstood a siege by Hafsid invaders in 1429. While the exact number of casualties or Maltese who were carried into slavery is unknown, the islands suffered depopulation in this raid. 

When the Order of Saint John took over in Malta in 1530, the nobles ceremoniously handed over the keys of the city to Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, but the Order settled in Birgu and Mdina lost its status as capital city. In the 1540s, the fortifications began to be upgraded during the magistracy of Juan de Homedes y Coscon, and in 1551 the city withstood a brief Ottoman siege.

During the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, Mdina was the base of the Order's cavalry, which made occasional sorties on the invading Ottomans. On 7 August 1565, the cavalry attacked the unprotected Ottoman field hospital, which led to the invaders abandoning a major assault on the main fortifications in Birgu and Senglea. 

The Ottomans attempted to take Mdina in September so as to winter there, but abandoned their plans when the city fired its cannon inefficiently at a much longer range than normal, leading them to believe that it had ammunition to spare. After the siege, Maltese military engineer Girolamo Cassar drew up plans to reduce Mdina's size by half and turning it into a fortress, but these were never implemented due to protests by the city's nobles. The fortifications were again upgraded in the mid-17th century, when the large De Redin Bastion was built at the centre of the land front.

Mdina suffered severe damage during the 1693 Sicily earthquake; although no casualties were reported, the 13th-century Cathedral of St. Paul was partially destroyed, and it was rebuilt by Lorenzo Gafà in the Baroque style between 1697 and 1703.

On 3 November 1722, newly elected Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena issued orders for the restoration and renovation of Mdina. This renovation was entrusted to the French architect and military engineer Charles François de Mondion, who introduced strong French Baroque elements into what was still a largely medieval city. At this point, large parts of the fortifications and the city entrance were completely rebuilt. The remains of the Castellu di la Chitati were demolished to make way for Palazzo Vilhena, while the main gate was walled up and a new Mdina Gate was built nearby. Several public buildings were also built, including the Banca Giuratale and the Corte Capitanale. The last major addition to the Mdina fortifications was Despuig Bastion, which was completed in 1746.

I'm happily carrying the vintage book I purchased in a charity shop!

I was very sensibly dress for my visit, a comfortable pair of riding brown boots and a warm coat. I won't link up my clothing items because I wore them all so many times and you've already seen all of these clothing items in my previous posts about Malta. I pretty much lived in this magenta coat while exploring Malta. The weather but nice but often cold. On this particular day it wasn't windy, but during my stay it often was, so I relied on this coat and layering to stay warm. If you do want to see how I was dressed, or to read more about my visits to Malta, well I'll leave the links below: 

ALL MY POSTS ABOUT MALTA 

Do you want to read about my previous visits to Malta? 

1) VISIT MALTA WITH IVANA- HIKING TALES- THE CLIFFS 

 I was both surprised and delighted to see and hike these stunning Maltese cliffs. It's something I would expect to find in Northern countries and not on a Mediterranean island.  

2) VISIT MALTA WITH IVANA- HIKING TALES- SOLO HIKES

I spent a lot of my time on Malta just hiking! Not only did I get to visit this utterly gorgeous island, I also got to hike it for hours. Moreover, during my hikes, I felt like I was able to connect with Malta on a deeper level by exploring it with calm and patience.

3) VISIT MALTA WITH IVANA- HIKING TALES- VALLETTA

Valletta, a city of incredibly rich history. Besides it being the capital of Malta, Valletta is one of the most concentrated historical sites in the world. Simply a dream place for a historical lover like myself. Apart from being a historical landmark like no other, Valletta is simply amazingly beautiful. 

4) VISIT MALTA WITH IVANA- HIKING TALES- SAINT JULIAN'S 

In this post, I took you to Saint Julian's on Malta. I enjoyed visiting this small touristy town. Saint Julian is perhaps best described as a mix of traditional and new. 

5) MALTA HIKING TALES PART FIVE- THE FAMOUS BAYS- In this post, I showed you the Golden's bay and the Apple's Eye bay. 

This place is so peaceful. The silent city. The silent walls. But so many stories. So much history!

For me Mdina is the kind of place that you can enjoy being silent it, just marveling at its rich historical buildings and taking in the stunningly beautiful views. 

Mdina is the kind of place you can enjoy even when you leave it. It's the kind of city you want to read about. I enjoyed reading about Mdina long after my visit. 

I rarely if ever travel abroad, I guess that living in two countries entails enough travelling for me. However, if I could travel all the time, this is the kind of cities I'd come back to- historical, beautiful and serene. 

Mdina is simply a dream place for lovers of history. I'm a history lover and so is my friend. So, you can imagine how much the two of us enjoyed exploring the fortified walks of Mdina. She was here before, so she was once again a guide. 

My primary reasons for visiting Malta was not exactly touristic, although I had every intention of playing the tourist and I certainly had. My main motivation for visiting was seeing a friend of mine who lives there. The two of us met as students, when we had a cup of coffee after class and we've been friends ever since. She was the main reason why I visited Malta. However, I did get to be the tourist, and then some. I was very fortunate to have a guide for my visit to Malta. My friend was a gracious host and both as a Malta local and a history lover she had a lot to tell and show. 

As I mentioned in my previous Malta travelogues, I also explored the island on my own. 

FORTANELLA TEA GARDEN 

I couldn't remember where we stopped for a cake and a cup of coffee, but fortunately Google lens help me out and I found it was in Fortanella Tea Garden (link above, not affiliated or anything). This place isn't big so we were happy to find seats. 

I remember there was a lot of lively chatting going on around us, but nothing that stayed in my mind. The atmosphere was lovely. I managed to find a photograph of what we had, so I can say that my friend had a slice of chocolate cake and tea and I had a cup of coffee and an unidentified yellow cake (was it vanilla or lemon- I can't recall?). Unless my memory mistakes me, both the coffee and the cake were lovely. The views were probably the best part, though. To sip coffee with this view is priceless.

Besides the cats and the horses, the sparrows in Mdina are also very friendly!

Can you see this adorable little sparrow? If I recall well we fed him some cake too. 

After feeding the sparrows, we continued our exploration of Mdina. I don'r know about you, but I find it hard to resist feeding the birds. I know that cake probably isn't that good for them, but sugar isn't good for us either. It seems rude not to share our food with birds- at least sometimes.

AND NOW IT'S TIME TO LEAVE THE BEAUTIFUL MDINA AND EXPLORE RABAT!

Once my friend caught a bus and went to work, I started exploring Rabat on my own. Rabat and Mdina are separated only by the walls. Still, the rhythm and the atmosphere is different. Mdina feels very secluded within its walls, a historical oasis of peace if you will. A place of silence, but the right kind of silence. In Mdina silence seems to be that of respect. A respect towards history. It's like Mdina decided to be silent so we can listen to the stories that the fortified walls and historical buildings can tell.

Rabat on the other hand, feels more lively and more open. There's a feeling of openness in Rabat, even if many of its streets are quite narrow. Again, we're surrounded by the signature brownish golden limestone Malta's architecture is famous for. Again, there are many historical buildings and churches to see. 

CHALK - CAFE- WINE- EATERY 

I snapped a picture of what looked like a charming wine place and thanks to google lens, I found their site that I will link above (not affiliated or anything). I haven't tried anything there, as I was in a hurry to see all of Rabat, but the place sure did look charming enough for me to remember it and google it all these years later. This is how they describe themselves on their site: Located in the heart of Rabat, just a short walk from Mdina's historic entrance, CHALK is a small, cosy spot that mixes the laid-back feel of a café with the comfort of a wine bar. The bistro is owned and run by a local who takes real pride in making sure everything is just right — from the friendly service to the quality food and lovely décor. We're all about fresh and quality ingredients, bringing together Maltese flavours with a modern twist. 

I snapped this photograph because I liked the look of this place. I don't know who this lovely lady is!

Parish square, Rabat

RABAT IS ALSO A HISTORICAL TOWN, ONE OF THE OLDEST TOWN ON MALTA!

If you're visiting Mdina, don't forget to visit Rabat as well. This historical town shouldn't be overlooked. Its history is connected to Mdina. Over the centuries, Mdina and Rabat were connected in a variety of ways. Today there is practically no distance between them. When you arrive at the bus status, you'll see both Rabat and Mdina. When you exit Mdina, you're in Rabat. Just keep walking and that's it. You're exploring Rabat. 

According to Wikipedia, 'Rabat (in Maltese language Ir-Rabat, [ɪrˈrɐbɐt]) is a town in the Western Region of Malta, with a population of 11,497 as of March 2014. It adjoins the ancient capital city of Mdina, and a north-western area formed part of the Roman city of Melite until its medieval retrenchment. The Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See to the Republic of Malta is seated in this village. The Local Council of Rabat is also the administrator of Baħrija.'

Some describe Rabat as functioning a sort of suburbs to Mdina in its glorious days. Its history is said to date two thousand years back, when it was a part of Roman city Medina. Today Rabat has a population of 11, 497 while Mdina has a population of 250. So, Rabat is more populated. You'll also find more shops and restaurant in Rabat. 

I took a lot of photographs in Rabat. I didn't take any photographs of myself, I was just focusing on photographing the beautiful buildings and churches! There are quite a few. So, let's get started!

SAINT CATALDUS CHURCH AND CATACOMBS

Rabat has a rich history connected to catacombs. 

Cited from Malta heritage site ( source https://heritagemalta.mt/explore/st-pauls-catacombs/):

Serving as a burial ground from Punic, Roman and Byzantine times the St Paul’s Catacombs represent the earliest and largest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta. It’s association to the saint derives from the myth that this cluster of catacombs was once connected with St Paul’s Grotto. Although this remains a myth, recent research shows that the two, originally formed part of a considerably large cemetery just outside of the ancient city of Melite. Indeed, it is now known that the hypogea were located in a cemetery with a very long history of use starting in, at least, the 3rd or 4th c. BC.

The catacombs form a typical complex of interconnected underground Roman cemeteries that were in use up to the 7th, and possibly the 8th centuries AD. They are located at Ħal Bajjada area, which is also known as Tad-Dlam. The area has more than 30 hypogea, of which the main complex, situated within the St Paul’s cluster, comprises a system of interconnected passages and tombs that cover an area over 2000 m2.

St. Cataldus Church and Catacombs

The entrance to the main complex leads to two large halls, adorned with pillars made to resemble Doric columns, and painted plasters most of which have now disappeared. These main halls are equipped with two circular tables set in a low platform with which resemble the reclining couch in the triclinium present in Roman houses. Hewn out in one piece from the living rock these triclinia were probably used to host commemorative meals during the annual festival of the dead.

Part of the catacombs were reutilised during the re-Christianisation of the Island, around the 13th century, when an open space was re-cut and used as a Christian shrine decorated with murals. The site was cleared and investigated in 1894 by Dr A.A. Caruana, the pioneer of Christian era archaeology in Malta.

St. Cataldus Church and Catacombs

THE BASILICA OF SAINT PAUL, RABAT

Perhaps the most impressive sight in Rabat is the Basilica of Saint Paul. When I happened on it, I was simply mesmerized by its beauty. When I came closer, I saw that the church was open. So, I had a chance to have a look inside. The church was full of people. There was actually mass being held (in Maltenese language of course). Beautiful signing as well. Definitely an experience I will remember and charish. 

Basilica of Saint Paul

The history of Saint Paul's Basilica: The church is built on part of the site of the Roman city Melite, which included all of Mdina and a large part of present-day Rabat. There were numerous churches built on the site of the present church which dates from the 17th century. In 1336 bishop Hilarius refers to the church as ecclesia Sancti Pauli de crypta, and also mentions the cemetery and the Roman ditch. The present church was built to replace a church which was completed in 1578. The new church was built with funds provided by the noble woman Guzmana Navarra on plans prepared by Francesco Buonamici. The church building commenced in 1653 was completed by Lorenzo Gafà in 1683. Annexed with the church of St Paul is a smaller church dedicated to St Publius which was rebuilt in 1692 and again in 1726 by Salvu Borg. The church was elevated to a Minor Basilica in 2020. 

Basilica of Saint Paul

As you can see, the Basilica of Saint Paul was filled with people. I was really fortunate that the weather was so sunny and wonderful, it definitely made the picture taking easier. 

National Arhives are also located in Rabat. To find out more about them, feel free to visit their site: https://nationalarchives.gov.mt/en/about-us/

The Pope John II blesses the Maltese people!

I didn't have time to explore the archives, but I  read about the archives. Do you want to know more about them? Here's their mission cited from https://nationalarchives.gov.mt/en/about-us/

The mission of the National Archives is to preserve the collective memory of the Maltese nation through the protection and accessibility of all public archives regulated by the Archives Act: a) To safeguard the collective memory of the Maltese nation and protect the rights of citizens through the selection, preservation, and access to the archives in whatever medium to the highest of standards; b) Establish and maintain a register to be known as the National Register of Archives; c) To monitor with powers of inspection the recordkeeping practices within public offices; d) Accept and acquire private records of national significance by gift, purchase, bequest, or deposit;e) Provide leadership to Maltese archives in such areas as preservation of archival records, records management, and national cooperation schemes; f) Promote the professional training of archivists and records managers.

THE CHURCH OF THE NAVITY OF OUR LADY

You'll find beautiful churches behind every corner in Rabat. The town is full of historical churches and chapels. You turn a corner and you'll beheld a new one. 

The Church of the Navity of Our lady, in Maltese it is called Il-Knisja ta' Santa Marija ta' Ġesù. According to wiki, it's commonly known as ta' Ġieżu. This Roman Catholic church was built  in 1500 and it was enlarged in 1757. It is adjoined by a Franciscan convent and it's very lovely. The facade made me think of some churches from Stari grad. There's also a wonderful statue in the front of the church. 

The Church of the Navity of Our lady is know in as Maltese as Il-Knisja ta' Santa Marija ta' Ġesù.

32 NOTABLE BUILDINGS IN RABAT 

1. St Pauls Collegiate and Grotto
2. Nativity of Our Lady church (k.a. Ta’Qasha) in St Rita Street.
3. St. Pauls - Count Roger Band Club
4. Archbishop Seminary
5. Augustinian Priory
6. Annunciation Church (Carmelite Fathers)
7. Casa Cosmana Navarra
8. Church dedicated to St Martin of Tours (Baħrija)
9. Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Mtaħleb)
10. Church of St. Catherine (Tad-Daħla)
11. Church of the Immaculate Conception (Wied Gerżuma)
12. Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary (Tas-Salib)
13. Church of the Blessed Virgin (Dominican Order)
14. Church of the Blessed Virgin (Franciscan Minors)
15. Church of St. Francis (Conventual Franciscans)
16. Collegiate Basilica of St Paul
17. Count Roger Band Club
18. Dominican Priory
19. Domus Romana
20. Dwejra Lines
21. Fort Binġemma
22. Għajn Għeriexem
23. L’Isle Adam Band Club
24. Loġġa tal-Palju
25. Saint Nicholas College - (Primary School A and B)
26. Santo Spirito Hospital - (National Archives of Malta)
27. Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Health
28. St. Agatha’s Catacombs and Crypt
29. St. Agatha's Church (Missionary Society of St Paul)
30. St. Bartholomew's Church
31. St. Catald's Church
32. St. Luke Pastoral Centre - Nigret
33. St. Mark's Church (Augustinians)
34. St. Paul's Catacombs
35. St. Paul's Missionary College
36. St. Sebastian's Church
37. Ta' Duna Church
38. Museum Station
39. Nicola Saura Hospital – Ospiza Saura
40. Niche of St. Paul in Saqqajja
41. Wignacourt Museum

Saint Rita detail in Rabat!

Rabat is filled with little charming ceramic details, lovely statues and gardens. 

With that we finish this rather extensive Mdina and Rabat travelogue! Thank you for reading and visiting!