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Mdina was the original capital of Malta
up until 1571. With a population of just 500 residents, this
walled city is ideal for exploring on foot. Only resident's
cars are allowed making it effectively a pedestrian area.
The city is a maze of side streets so a
map is well worth having with you. We direct you round Mdina
with our suggested walk below. It takes in most of the sites
of Mdina and will give you a feel for this ancient
Mediterranean city. If you stop at the Dungeons and the
Knights of Malta Museum as we did, the walk will take around
two and a half hours. A stop at a cafe along the way for a
light lunch or coffee will add a little more time and give
you a welcome break from the sun in the afternoon. |
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The walk starts at Mdina city
gate, the picture on the right shows a view of it
from inside the city. The gates were built in 1724
and designed by de Mondion. The gates were
commissioned by the Grand Master de Vilhena, the
leader of the Order of the Knights of Saint John at
the time.
When a new Grand Master was
elected, he would walk from Valletta to the gates of
Mdina. He was greeted there by the head of the
Universita who would present him with the solid
silver keys to the city gates. The newly elected
Grand master would swear to "observe the privileges,
franchises and usages of the city of Mdina". |
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As you pass through the city gates, the Mdina
Dungeons are immediately on your right. These show
just how inventive man can be when it comes to
torturing other men. There are roughly 30 staged
sets illustrating various torture methods.
Gruesome it most definitely is and the waxwork
figures are reasonably life like. The dungeons are
set below the Courts of Justice and they really were
the place where the prisoners were violently
interrogated. Punishments passed by the Courts, such
as hanging or chopping off hands, were carried out
in these dungeons.
There is a charge to enter the exhibition and we
think it was well worth the cost. If you have kids,
this exhibit will be the highlight of the day for
them. Click here for
our picture gallery of some of
the sets. |
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A few steps further on from the
dungeons is Mdina's Natural History Museum. We paid
the entrance fee to see inside and it was a waste of
time! But the exterior of the building itself and
the square it is set in, are magnificent.
Commissioned in 1730 by Grand
Master de Vilhena, the architect is believed to be
de Mondion. The main city gates were moved a few
feet to accommodate this building. In 1908 the
building was converted into a hospital specialising
in tuberculosis. The hospital was officially opened
in 1909 by King Edward VII. Finally in 1973 the
hospital was closed and the building re-opened as
the Mdina Natural History Museum. |
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Cross Inguanez Street and head on up
Villegaignon Street. This will take you into St
Paul's Square which is dominated by St Paul's
Cathedral.
Legend has it that St Paul was shipwrecked on Malta
for several weeks. During his stay there he managed
to convert Publius, the governor, to Christianity.
St Paul's Cathedral stands on the site of Publius'
headquarters. St Paul's reputation was enhanced when
he cured Publius' father of a fatal disease. He is
also reputed to have survived what would normally
have been a fatal snake bite.
Click here for our
page on St Paul's Cathedral. |
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CONTINUE TO
SECOND PAGE ABOUT MDINA
OTHER MALTA ATTRACTIONS
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