Mdina, Malta—Historical Architecture Destination
Welcome to Issue XVIII of Historical Architecture Destinations! Today we're diving into the story of Mdina as told through three of its historical buildings.
Origins: From the Phoenicians to the Romans
The Phoenicians founded the city (known as Maleth) nearly 3000 years ago in the 8th century BC. The Romans took over the city and named it Melite in the 3rd century BC. The Roman city grew to three times larger than present day Mdina.
In the first century AD Publius was the magistrate of Malta and is mentioned in the Act of Apostles in the New Testament of the Bible.
The story goes that Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked on the island of Malta and Publius welcomed him in. Saint Paul then cured Publius’ sick father. This act is said to have welcomed Christianity and Christianized the whole island of Malta (making it the first Christian nation in the West).
Publius in turn became the first Bishop of Malta and after his martyrdom in Athens in the 2nd century AD became a saint.
It’s during this period of Roman control that brings us to our first building.
1. Domvs Romana
Few ruins remain from Roman times in Melite but an accidental discovery in 1881 revealed a Roman mosaic.
This Roman mosaic was the floor of the Domvs Romana (meaning Roman House) an aristocratic house dating from the 1st century BC. It had a colonnaded peristyle inspired by the ancient Greeks. And inside a larger than life sculpture of Roman Emperor Claudius.
In 1882 a museum was built over the mosaic and archaeological site.
Decades later an 11th century Muslim cemetery was also uncovered on this site.
Mdina in the Middle Ages
In the 8th century AD centuries after the fall of the Western Roman Empire the Byzantines controlled the area of Melite. They significantly reduced the size of the former Roman city to create a more defensible perimeter.
The city remained part of the Byzantine empire until the 9th century when it came under Islamic rule and they renamed the city Medina. They transformed the city center with their Islamic urban design that was characteristic in medieval times. This influence can still be seen in the winding streets and is now the city’s namesake.
In the late 11th century the city came under the rule of the Kingdom of Sicily and it’s under this Kingdom that brings us to our second building.
2. St. Paul’s Cathedral
According to legend it was on this very site where Publius met Paul the Apostle after his shipwreck.
The site was first used as a palace belonging to Publius. Archaeological evidence has found parts of a Roman Domus in the crypt area and evidence of a church from the early Middle Ages. This church was later used as a Mosque under the Islamic occupation.
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The original St. Paul's Cathedral dates from the 12th century when Mdina was under the rule of the Kingdom of Sicily. It was damaged by an earthquake in 1693 and rebuilt in the Baroque style shortly after by Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà. The Cathedral is considered Gafà’s masterpiece.
The interior has 18th century frescoes depicting the life of Saint Paul.
Our next building is also in the Catholic Baroque style.
3. Mdina Gate
The Order of the Knights of Saint John (also known as The Knights of Malta) took over in 1530.
They refortified the city and withstood an attack from the Ottomans, the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. In 1722 the Grand Master ordered renovations of the city. One of the renovations included the Mdina Gate, built in 1724.
The Mdina Gate was built in the Baroque style by a French architect. During this time the city’s fortification walls were also rebuilt.
The Knights of Malta
This Catholic order was established in Jerusalem in the 11th century originally to care for sick pilgrims.
They eventually became a major force in the Crusades. In the 16th century they moved their headquarters from Rhodes (after being defeated by the Ottomans) to Malta.
The Knights ruled from Malta until Napoleon’s rule of the area in the 18th century.
Present day
Today it’s known as the Silent City because no outside cars are allowed and noise restrictions are in place.
This gives the city an aura of a time past. The city featured as Kings Landing in S1 of Game of Thrones and it’s visited by 750k people per year.
To avoid crowds the best months to visit are May, Sep, and Oct.
Where to stay
Step back in time into the fortified city of Mdina and stay in a 17th century Palazzo, Xara Palace.
This Relais & Chateaux luxury hotel is inside the medieval walls of the city.
Deep dive
Walk through the history of the Knights of Malta and their epic battle defending Malta from the Ottoman’s Great Siege in The Shield and the Sword by Ernie Bradford.
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