MDINA, THE OLD CAPITAL
Only 10km (6 miles) west of Valletta, Mdina is situated on
a high ridge in the centre of the island. It is one of the
most beautiful, and oldest cities on Malta. The city's name
is taken from the Arabic word Medina which means simply,
city or town. It is thought to have been populated by the
Phoenicians in approximately 1000BC. When the Romans took
control of Malta, the governor liked Mdina so much that he
decided to base the government in the city and had his palace
constructed here.
This 3000-year-old city, once the political centre of Malta,
is filled with Norman and baroque buildings and narrow cobblestone
streets. Perched on a rocky outcrop about 15km (9mi) west
of Valletta, the so-called Citta Notabile - Noble City - has
a commanding view of the island. Its nickname derives from
the many aristocratic Maltese families who still live in town.
The best-preserved medieval building is the Norman-style Palazzo
Falzon, built in 1495. Mdina has a beautiful main piazza,
where you'll find the 11th-century Roman Catholic Sicula-Norman
Cathedral, one of the few buildings to survive an earthquake
in 1693. The cathedral museum houses a collection of Dürer
woodcuts. The nearby suburb of Rabat (which translates roughly
as 'suburb') has the interesting Museum of Roman Antiquities,
which offers exhibits on the island's 1000 years under Roman
rule.
When the Saracens arrived on the islands in about 870AD,
they surrounded the city with thicker walls which separated
it from its nearest neighbour Rabat. The magnificent fortifications
have survived intact and a complete wall still stands. The
city has always been home to important families and people
of distinction. The first bishop of Malta, Publius, who was
converted to Christianity by Saint Paul, lived here. There
was an earthquake in 1693 which caused much damage to the
city but today Mdina still exudes a renaissance-like atmosphere,
retaining much of its magnificent historical architecture
despite some damage sustained in the bombing during WWII.
Indeed, taking a stroll through this quiet city (it is also
known as the silent city), is like taking a trip back in time.
The inhabitants number just under 500. There is very little
traffic within its confines due to the fact that only residents
are allowed to drive into the city. There is an absence of
the overt commercialism you see on the streets of most European
cities today except for a few gift shops and restaurants.
Mdina is perched on a high plateau towering over the rest
of the island. It was once Malta's capital and the citadel
is one of the finest surviving examples of a medieval walled
city. The town is entered by a stone drawbridge which leads
to a maze of narrow streets, lined with churches, monasteries
and palaces, connected by tiny piazzas. Of particular interest
is the Norman-style Palazzo Faisan which has a collection
of antique weapons and pottery, a cathedral, and a museum
that still houses a magnificent collection of art treasures,
survivals from the sacking which the town suffered at the
hands of the French in the 18th century. From Bastion Square
the visitor has a breathtaking view of the surrounding fields
and villages, and also of St Paul's Bay.
St Paul's Metropolitan Cathedral
The 1693 earthquake razed the old cathedral of Mdina to the
ground. It had been built in the 13th century and representations
of how it looked can be seen in the Grand Masters' Palace
in Valletta in the form of frescos by Matteo Perez d'Aleccio.
However, the famous local architect Lorenzo Gafä set
to work on a new cathedral for the city and in less than 10
years after the earthquake a new baroque cathedral graced
Mdina.
The cathedral's magnificent dome towers over the surrounding
plains of Central Malta and the piazza complements it perfectly.
The interior is a grand feast for the eyes. There are gilded
carvings, wonderfully decorated side chapels, and many paintings
depicting scenes from the life of St Paul including one that
survived the earthquake of 1693: Mattia Pretti's The Shipwreck
of StPaul. Look out too for works housed in the church by
Mario Caffaro Rore.
Cathedral Museum
The treasures that were saved from the first Mdina cathedral
(demolished in the earthquake of 1693), are kept in a former
diocesan seminary. There is a wealth of fine art here with
collections of paintings, prints, woodcuts and drawings by
the old masters. Some superb woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer,
the influential artist of Reformation Germany and engravings
by Rembrandt are to be seen here. The magnificent 14th century
St Paul Polyptych depicting various occurrences during the
saints life, and which once graced the old cathedral's altar,
can also be admired here at the museum. The refectory of the
old seminary and 18th century octagonal chapel have been preserved.
In addition to the art on show, there are also some other
magnificent exhibits, including a coin collection spanning
2,000 years. Among the many coins are a complete set of Roman
coins minted on the islands.
Vilhena Palace (Palazzo Vilhena), St Publius Square
The palace, with its fine sculpted doorway displaying the
coat of arms of its builder Grand MasterManoel de Vilhena,
is now a magisterial building and houses several interesting
attractions. The Museum of Natural History is a large, well
laid-out series of exhibits featuring local fossils and wildlife.
Public torture was only abolished by the Governor of Malta
in 1813 and gory wax representations of such scenes can be
seen at the Mdina Dungeons, the most macabre museum in Malta.
These dungeons were used to torture and imprison people from
the Middle Ages until the governor's abolishment. Some of
the original torture instruments are exhibits. The dungeons
lie beneath the Vilhena Palace.
The Palazzo Falzon, Villegainon Street
This splendid, aristocratic mansion offers the visitor to
Mdina a rare chance to see how the Maltese nobility lives.
The palace has a fine collection of art and antiques. The
'Norman House' was built in 1495 and is very well preserved.
It houses a private museum and the rooms are filled with ceramics,
paintings, antiques, lithographs and weaponry.
Mesquita Square
In this square one can visit the Mdina Experience, an audio-visual
presentation dedicated to the history of the city. The tour
incorporates a multivision show in a 68 seater auditorium,
accompanied by narrative that takes you through the historical
development of Mdina.
The Tower of the Old Standard
The city's main police station is located in a 16th century
watch tower, the Tower of the Old Standard, located just left
of the city's Main Gate.
RABAT
Nowadays Rabat is the commercial centre of Central Malta.
Back in Roman times the sites of Mdina and Rabat was occupied
by Melita, then the capital of the island. The current names
derive from the Arab occupation of Malta, when Medina was
fortified and what remained outside the walls was referred
to as rabat. There are many Roman ruins here and early Christian
catacombs beneath the ground. You'll also be able to have
a look at the cave churches, medieval monasteries and churches
for which the area is renowned. Rabat is a lot more animated
than Mdina and has many shops and bars.
The Museum of Roman Antiquities, Museum Esplenada
Built on the site of a Roman villa, large sections of this
original construction, including its splendid mosaic floor,
were incorporated into the new building. Exhibits here include
a number of Roman artefacts such as statues, glass objects
and tombstones.
St Paul's Church, Parish Square and St Paul's Grotto
This is a 16th century church built over the Grotto of St
Paul. It is believed that it is in this grotto that St Paul
lived and prayed after his shipwreck on the island in AD60.
Local lore has it that the saint spent several weeks here
attempting to acquaint people with Christianity. Another version
says that the Apostle was actually imprisoned here. Stone
scraped from the wall is said to have healing powers and that
the size of the cave remains the same, no matter how much
stone is scraped from its interior. A marble statue of St
Paul is to be found in the crypt.
The grotto forms only a small part of the extensive catacombs
beneath the city. Jews from Palestine brought the concept
of burial in an underground chamber to Malta. The Christians
continued the practice and now the entire area beneath Rabat
has a network of catacombs beneath it. Probably the most interesting
of these are the St Agatha catacombs. Situated under the church
of St Agatha, on St Agatha's Street, it has numerous Jewish,
Christian and Punic burial chambers lining the walls. Special
stone tables on which funeral feasts were held by family members
of the deceased are scattered throughout the caverns. Only
the Christian section is open to the public. The St Paul's
Catacombs form the largest single section of the catacombs.
St Paul's Museum, College Street
Formerly a clergy house called Wignacourt College, the museum
is linked to StPaul's church by a tunnel. The college became
a museum in 1981 and has a collection of Punic-Roman artefacts,
coins, books, pottery, and furniture.
Santo Spirito Hospital, Nicolo Saura Street
This was the first hospital to be built on the island. It
opened in 1370 and functioned until it was closed down in
1968.
There are several attractions in the area around Rabat that
are definitely worth a visit.
Verdala Palace, Buskett Gardens
The summer residence of the Maltese president, nestled in
its own park overlooking the Busket Gardens was once the summer
retreat of Grand Master Hughes de Verdalle. This 16th century
palace is renowned for its architecture and beautiful gardens.
It was designed in 1586 by Gerolamo Cassar with a fortified
castle idea in mind. The splendid banqueting hall boasts a
series of frescos showing episodes from the Grand Master's
life (not a very amiable character according to contemporary
accounts). A marble-stepped spiral staircase ascends to the
first floor. The steps were made shallow because the Knights
had trouble bending their armour-bound knees. The tours end
on the roof of the palace but before you get there, the two
bedrooms on the top floor have some interesting history as
well. They both have 'secret' staircases. One of these was
the Grand Master's escape route should any trouble arise.
The other went straight down to the torture chamber.
Buskett Gardens
This public park is one of only two wooded areas on the island.
In summer it is a popular venue for the festivals and picnics
enjoyed by both locals and visitors. The paths are lined by
tall shady trees (oak, cypress, firs, pines). There's an chill
out spot here; the well known Buskett Roadhouse where you
can dance summer nights away after sampling the Maltese cuisine
on offer.
Dingli Cliffs
Just west of the city, the Dingli Cliffs drop 253m(830 feet)
to the sea at the village of Dingli, the highest in Malta.
This starkly beautiful stretch of coast makes for excellent
walking territory. The islet of Filfla can be spotted out
in the blue of the Med from here.
Chadwick Lakes
ATTARD, BALZAN and LIJA
Situated about 6km (4 miles) west of Valletta are the intertwined
'Three Villages' of Attard, Balzan and Lija. Attard is the
site of the President's official home, the San Anton Palace.
Described by Samuel Coleridge as a building with 'splendid
and lofty rooms', this palace is a perfect example of the
opulent lifestyle enjoyed by the Order of St John during the
17th century. The San Anton Gardens bordering the palace has
a collection of indigenous flora that is unequalled on the
island. The Church of St Mary, Attard's parish church, is
one of the few examples of Maltese Renaissance church architecture
left on Malta. It was designed by Tommaso Dingli and finished
in 1613. Balzan and Lija have a number of handsome small churches,
the most prominent being the Church of St Saviour in Lija
with its beautifully decorated interior. Gudja, 2km (1,2 miles)
further west, has one of the oldest churches on the island.
Its Church of St Mary Ta'Bir Miftuh was built in 1436. Among
its other attractions is the Palazzo d'Aurel, a perfectly
maintained archetype of a 17th century noble's home.
MOSTA
The village of Mosta, 8,5km (5 miles) south of Valletta,
has a church which is rumored to have the fourth largest dome
in the world. The building of Mosta Dome started in 1833,
and can be seen from almost every vantage point on Malta.
On display in the church is the defused bomb that pierced
the dome during World War II and fell, without exploding,
amid the congregation. About 3,5km (2 miles) northeast of
Rabat lies the Ta'qali Craft Centre. It is the largest craft
market on the island and is housed in an old World War II
aerodrome. Articles sold here include silver jewellery, brass
and ironware, glass products, lace and Maltese linen.
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