Mdina: City History and Cultural Heritage

Mdina combines a long history with significant buildings and a variety of museum topics. When planning a hotel stay in Malta, you can consider the city as a possible destination if you are interested in architecture, history or natural history. Its sights cover a range of themes, from the historic cityscape to sacred art and natural history exhibitions.

The city’s location and historical development

Mdina was founded thousands of years ago on a hill east and north of the Bingemma cliffs. The city is bordered on one side by the deep valleys of Wied l-Imdina tal-Hemsija and Saqqajja, and on the other by a Roman wall and Wied Ghar Exrem. This geographical location is part of Mdina’s character, as is the remarkable continuity of its urban layout: its street structure and plan are virtually the same as they were a thousand years ago.

For defensive purposes, the Arabs separated L-Imdina from Ir-Rabat with a deep ditch and surrounded the city with new walls. The city gates also reflect different historical periods. Greeks' Gate is believed to be Malta’s only surviving medieval entrance. Mdina Gate, also called Vilhena Gate, was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1724. The two gates offer different ways to explore the history of fortifications and architecture.

Cathedral and art

St Paul’s Cathedral stands on the main square in the centre of Mdina. It was rebuilt between 1697 and 1702 under the direction of Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà. Inside are a painting by Mattia Preti and works by various Italian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. The cathedral’s central location and artworks make it a distinct highlight alongside the city gates and museums.

Palazzo Falson and its history

Palazzo Falson was built in the early 13th century on the site of La Rocca. It is considered the second-oldest surviving building in Mdina, with parts dating from the 13th century. The historic house museum opened to the public in May 2007. This also helps place the palazzo’s construction history in context.

Palazzo Falson offers the augmented reality game Secrets of Palazzo Falson. As availability may vary, check the latest information before your visit. This way, you can distinguish between the historic architecture and the digital game experience when planning, without treating them as the same visitor experience.

Natural history and exhibitions

The National Museum of Natural History is located in Palazzo Vilhena, a striking building in Mdina’s Silent City. Its subjects range from local biodiversity and ecology to geology, palaeontology, mineralogy and human evolution. The exhibits also include marine fauna, skeletal structures, insects, shells and birds. The museum focuses particularly on the endemic and indigenous flora and fauna of the Maltese archipelago. Those interested in biodiversity will therefore find both natural history exhibits and an explicitly local perspective here.

History in different formats

The Mdina Experience presents a 30-minute show about Mdina’s journey through time. The stated duration can help you fit this activity into your day; programme details may change. Check the latest information before your visit.

The attraction The Knights of Malta is located at Casa Magazzini in Mdina, within the fortifications. It depicts the history of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem in tableaux. The Mdina Dungeons Museum has a different focus: this historical attraction displays authentic torture instruments and reconstructed prison cells. Its underground passageways depict events from the Roman period through the age of the Knights and into the Napoleonic era. The museum is beneath the Magisterial Vilhena Palace, near Mdina’s main gate.

Getting to Mdina

Mdina can be reached by bicycle, taxi, bus, hop-on-hop-off service and as part of sightseeing tours. As transport options may change, check current routes and services before travelling. To choose what to see, compare the different themes: the cathedral and art, historic buildings, natural history or exhibitions about Malta’s past.

Discover more destinations: Kercem, Valletta, Marsa, Qormi, Bugibba, Vittoriosa, Marsaskala, Tarxien.

Go to the main travel overview: Malta.