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According to early Christian reports, the Cathedral is sited on the spot where St. Pauld converted the Romean Governor, Publius to Christianity and hence is dedicated to him.
St Paul's Cathedral is the architectural heart of Malta - in a lovely wide open square so you can get a good view of it. In fact when the Cathedral was built (1697-1702) Mdina underwent a major redesign for this very purpose and several streets and houses had to be cleared. It had a lovely golden hue with the sun shining on its yellow facade - unfortunately we arrived at its door literally as it was closing for lunch so we didn't get a chance to see inside. The interior is reputed to be as lavish as St John's Co-Cathedral in Valleta so if that is the case its definitely worth a look .
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Mdina, the old capital of Malta, is a lovely medieval town situated in the centre of Malta at an altitude of 200 metres above sea level and enjoy spectacular views of the surrouunding countryside and coast from its ramparts. Although smaller than I had pictured in my mind - and also having seen it from the air as we approached Malta - its an enjoying place to soak up the history of this fascinating old capital.
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The best preserved medieval building in Mdina is Palazzo Falzon. The Maltese emulated the architecture of the Scilian nobility when under Spanish rule anfd this style of building is known as Siculo-Norman. It has double arched windows and cornice and string course of triangular corbels. Grandmaster L`isle Adam lived in this place.
It wa difficult to take a close look here as part of the road was closed off due to renovations of the pavements in Mdina during our visit :-(
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Our tour of Mdina literally began at the door of the National Museum of Natural History in the Palazzo Vilhena, former home of the 66th of the Order of the Knights of St. John, Grand Master Fra Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. The museum is the national repository of biological specimens and represents both life and earth sciences.
Located on the San Publius Square, behind a large, solemn stone courtyard featuring a Maltese Cross of marble, the entrance to Palazzo Vilhena is adorned with sculptures, a large, intricate medallion befitting the palace that it is.
Not to be confused with a "National" history museum, th is "Natural" history museum is for lovers of nature!! The Natural History Museum does contain exhibits and historically important geological collections of "over 10,000 rocks and minerals, over 3,500 birds, birds’ eggs and nests, 200 mammals, over 200 fish species, thousands of local and exotic shells and insects."
The fossil collection is something you just don't find everywhere--a number of large fish, numerous species of sea urchins and other marine fauna found embedded in limestone rocks is for students of biology, anthropology, geology, zoology, palaeontology and other curious scientifically-oriented minds.
High school, college students and tourists alike will find the museum focus on faunal aspects of natural sciences, habitats, evolution, and ecosystems a good place for research and the museum also houses a reference library on natural sciences.
The Palazzo Vilhena provides a grand setting for this museum!
The very reasonable admission fees are as follows:
Adults (18 - 59 years): €2.33 (Lm 1)
Students (12 - 17 years), Senior Citizens (60 years and over), ISIC Card Holders, EURO Leave a Comment Address: Vilhena Palace, St Publius SquarePhone: ( 356) 21455951
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During the time of the Arab rule, enhancement of the fortifications of Mdina became a huge undertaking. Higher, solid stone walls were added and a moat was dug for additional fortification --- Mdina eventually resembled other Moorish fortresses of the time such as in North Africa. However, these changes greatly reduced the size of the city and required more formal gates for entry.
The "Mdina Gate" is probably most widely recognized and most used by tourists to gain entry into "the Silent City." Two stone sculptures on pedestals frame the approach to the stone bridge and ornamental gate. The gates leading directly to the Piazza San Publius in front of the Vilhena Palace, now home of the national Museum of Natural History.
The city sustained considerable damage during the earthquake of 1693. It was Grand Master Fra Antoine Manoel de Vilhena who restored the Palazzo Vilhena (originally the Magisterial Palace) and the main gate or Mdina Gate around the year 1725 and added Baroque embellisments which made it a distinctive entrance to this special city. Leave a Comment
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Vilhena Palace - the former Magistrates Place is where the keys where given to the first Grand Master of the Order of St John, when they came to Malta in 1530. Much to the delight of tthe nobles in Mdina the Knights chose to settle in Valletta rather than their precious Mdina as it was too far from the harboutr for them here. It has a Frenchy style courtyard and the Place is now the Natural History Museum. Yhe basement was formerly used as a prison and is now converted to the Mdina dungeons attraction - there is a lot youcan see in Mdina!
Seen here is a shot of the doorway though as we decided to see the outdoor sights as usual.
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For an inexpensive, but assisted tour of the city of Mdina, consider taking a self-guided audio tour by "Discover Mdina." The audio-tour takes you to 18 of the most important sights in Mdina including Vilhena Palace, Mdina Gate, Palazzo Falson, St. Paul's Square, etc. (Admission fees to museums or special sites not included.) The beauty of this self-guided tour is in the fact that you tour independently and get historical facts & information about what you're seeing, but can spend as little or as much time as you wish in each location. The audio portion is available in 6 languages: Maltese, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
The audio portion of the tour is narrated by a real character, Baron Phillippe Caxaro d’Antonio Murina della Verga, "who claims to be the oldest remaining member of one of the oldest remaining noble families in Mdina."
The hand-held audio phone and map can be obtained at the Vilhena Palace, just inside and to the right of the Mdina Gate, available everyday from 9am to 4pm.
Adults/Children/Students: 8 Euros; Senior citizens: 6 Euros. Leave a Comment Address: Vilhena Palace, Publius SquareWebsite: %cv%bDiscoverMdina.com
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Not just an ornat balcony her but one with a story as I'm sure most building in Mdina will have. It was from here, the balcony of Cas Viani, Notary Bezzina’s house, that the French commander was thrown, thus beginning the Maltese uprising against the French in 1798.
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At the farthest point of our brief tour to Mdina, we reached "Bastion Square or Piazza tas-Sur" at the end of Villegaignon Triq. Stop here at this high vantage point atop the fortified ramparts to view the panorama which lays before you. This is the area from which the Ottoman Turks lay seige to Mdina. "Straight in front is the hill at Mtarfa where the Ottoman turks encamped during there bitter and fierce but unsuccessful attack on Mdina in 1522." As you stand at that high wall, you may imagine what the scene looked like and at the determination and courage shown by the citizens of Mdina to repel the vast army that lay waiting to assault their city.
Also from this point on Bastion Square, our guide pointed out the dome of Mosta's church which is considered the 3rd largest dome in the World. The Pantheon in Rome has the world's largest dome.
NOTE: Be cautious of the uneven pavement and steps at Bastion Square and the ramparts. One elderly member of our group missed a step and fell, causing other members of the group to fall as well. Leave a Comment
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Likewise we didin't get to see the Cathedral Musem, situated nearby. This houses a rare collection of coins, silver plate, religious vestments and some woodcuts by the German artist Albert Dürer.
Enlarge the pic though and you'll see the carvings either side of the door that I found really interesting. I'm more into the outside detail such as this.
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on March 8, 2005
on January 26, 2009
