Idea #780 – Admiring the beauty of the palaces of the citadel of Mdina
L-Imdina, or more simply Mdina, is a historic city located in the center of Malta. Founded by the Phoenicians as a center of commerce, Mdina was a Roman place as evidenced by the remains of the Domus Romana, an ancient Roman domus dating from the 1st century BC. Subsequently, the city was occupied by the Arabs, who gave it its name (Mdina, the “city”). The latter, considering the city too large to be fortified, divided it by a moat, separating it into two distinct entities, Mdina and Rabat (the “suburb”).
The Normans take Mdina from the Arabs. Later, the city and the islands are attached to the crown of the two Sicilies and Mdina becomes its capital. In 1530, Malta was given by Charles V to the Hospitallers of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, moving the capital to Birgu. However, Maltese notables, bishops and Università remained established in Mdina, a position which did not resist the founding of Valletta in 1566. All the hospital and popular powers were then concentrated in Valletta, the new capital of the archipelago.
In 1693, a terrible earthquake devastated eastern Sicily, hitting Malta hard. Mdina, many buildings are destroyed; the ramparts and the city were restored by Charles François de Mondion, a French architect, at the request of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena. Saint Paul’s Cathedral, also destroyed, was rebuilt by the Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafa. The Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Malta, and shares its title with St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
The city is still surrounded by bastioned ramparts, pierced by three gates. The oldest, designated as the Greek gate, serves as a postern. The major entrance, or Porta Reale, was designed by French engineer Charles François de Mondion in 1724.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Mdina, Malta