The carriage stops at the main gate. The driver cuts the engine and the silence hits you first. No cars, no scooters, no hum of daily life. Just the sound of your own footsteps on limestone and the wind moving through the alleyways. Mdina sits on a hill in western Malta, 185 metres above sea level, and the view from the bastions stretches across the island to the Mediterranean. This is a walled city that has barely changed in five centuries and it holds its history close.
The Gate and the Walls
The main gate, built in the Baroque style in 1724, was designed by the French architect Charles Francois de Mondion. The gate is flanked by two bronze statues of the Maltese lion. The walls themselves are older, dating from Roman foundations in 200 BC, reinforced by the Arabs in 870 AD, and strengthened by the Normans in the 12th century. The outer fortifications enclose the city completely. You enter through the gate and the modern world stays behind. The walls are 185 metres above sea level and on a clear day you can see the coast of Sicily, 93 km to the north.
The Silent Streets and Palaces
Mdina has fewer than 400 permanent residents. The ban on motor vehicles inside the walls has been enforced since the 1970s and the result is a city that sounds like the 14th century. The streets are narrow and winding, designed to confuse invaders and to channel the wind. The Palazzo Falson, a 13th-century medieval palace, houses a collection of paintings, silverware, and antique furniture assembled by Captain Olof Gollcher in the early 20th century. The Palazzo Vilhena, built in 1726, now serves as the National Museum of Natural History. The cathedral, the Cattedrale di San Paolo, was built between 1697 and 1702 on the site where the Roman governor Publius met Saint Paul after his shipwreck in 60 AD. The cathedral floor is a mosaic of marble tombstones. The dome is painted with scenes from Paul’s life.
The View from the Bastions
The bastions on the western side of the walled city offer the most complete view of the Maltese landscape. To the south, the fishing village of Marsaxlokk and the Blue Grotto. To the east, the Three Cities and the Grand Harbour. To the north, St Paul’s Bay and the island of Comino. The bastions were built by the Knights of St John in the 16th century, after the Great Siege of 1565, and their design was revolutionary for the period: low, angled, sloping walls designed to deflect cannon fire rather than absorb it. The walk along the bastions is 800 metres in total and the best time to walk it is at sunset, when the limestone glows amber and the island settles into evening.
What was the moment in Mdina that made you stop walking and just stand still?
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On the south-western part of the island of Malta there is the town of Mdina, which was the capital of Malta until the mid-16th century. However Mdina is not capital city any more the city didn’t loose anything of its fame. Today it is one of the largest and most visited tourist destinations in Malta, acting almost as a museum.
The city’s history dates back to somewhere in the 200 BC, when it was strategically advantageous area at an altitude of 185 meters above sea level, inhabited by the Romans. They built massive walls around the settlement and built a city named Melita. Later also the palace, where they placed the headquarters of the government.
In 870 Mdina was occupied with the Arabs and was divided into two parts. The central part was surrounded by walls and deep moat, and was renamed Medina, which in Arabic means “city”. The remaining part called Rabat, which is now an independent city, or more like a suburb of Mdina. Due to the walls, Medina was not able to expand further, therefore, it remained almost unchanged. After leaving of the Arabs its name was changed to the original one – Mdina, and even today has the character, who in the 16th and 17 Century imprint Maltese nobles, which I later withdrew from the island.
In 1571 Valletta became the capital of Malta and Mdina was further often referred to as the Citta Vecchia (Old City). This name comes from the Middle Ages, when this place was home to many aristocrats and their descendants from Norman countries, Spain and Sicily. Many people at that time left the city, but most aristocratic families still lived in their residences. This made it possible to maintain their homes still in its original beauty. Most of the buildings in Mdina dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries. The paradox is that most younger baroque monuments were destroyed by an earthquake in the 1693.
Today Mdina is a traditional city with only less than 400 permanent residents. The town is called “Silent” or “Silent City”. It is caused by the fact that it is forbidden to enter the city walls by any motor vehicle. The city is ideal for walking and relaxing. Mdina is, with the city of Rabat, very attractive place, especially for the history lovers. You can walk through the ancient streets or enjoy spectacular panoramic views of Malta from the city walls.
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