Mdina - Mdina

Mdina: cathedral
Mdina "Città notabile"
DistrictWestern District
Residents
292 (2014)
height
200 m
no tourist info on Wikidata: Add tourist information
location
Malta location map
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Mdina

Mdina is a city in Western District on Malta. The city on a hill is completely surrounded by fortress walls, Mdina was the former island capital of Malta before the Knights of the Order of St. John moved the capital to the sea.

background

In the area of ​​a hill in the western part of Malta's main island, settlers settled down early on. City walls and named the city Malet (Refuge). After it was conquered by the Romans in the Second Punic War in 217 BC, this became The name Melita for the capital of the island, which was expanded with numerous buildings that make up a Roman provincial town. So was Melita At the time of the shipwreck of the Apostle Paul off the coast, it was also the seat of the governor Publius, who, according to legend, was the first to accept the Christian gala and was made the first bishop over the island. The center of early Christianity was also in the capital area of ​​Melita.

After the Arabs took control of the island, they separated the administrative district from the rest of the city, giving the administrative district the name Mdina ' and the suburb was called Arabic Rabat named. While in Mdina the ecclesiastical and secular rulers resided, concentrated in the larger population Rabat trade and commerce.

In the 15th century A large part of the population lived behind the city walls under protection from corsair and pirate attacks. With the arrival of the Knights of the Order of St. John on the island of Malta in 1530, they first established their seat in the old capital and seat of the Maltese nobility in Mdina. For practical reasons, in order to be able to better fight invasion plans of the Turks from the sea, the capital became a fortress city Birgu relocated from where the Grand Harbor could be better defended. Only after Great victories, the siege by the Turks, was with the construction of the new capital Valletta began. Since the order of knights was unwilling to accept the archbishopric privileges of the archbishopric, which had existed for a long time on the island, stayed Mdina until today a bishopric.

The city experienced in the 19th century. an upswing with the establishment of infrastructure for education, health and postal services in Rabat and government offices in Mdina, a railway line was built on which the trains of the "Malta Railway Company" ran between Rabat and Valletta. In 1883 the railway line to Notabile (south of Mdina) was opened, the tunnel line under the elevation of Mdina and the extension to Mdina / Mtarfa were not put into operation until 1900, and due to poor profitability, rail traffic was discontinued in 1931.

Since only very few people live in the city itself, it becomes very quiet in the evening when the tourists have finished the sightseeing, which is why it is also known as the "Silent City".

getting there

By plane

The 1 Malta International Airport located in Luqa, a good eleven kilometers east of the community.

By bus

With Valletta resp. the central bus station in Floriana are Rabat and Mdina with the lines 51 / 52 / 53 the bus company Arriva connected that line 52 continues after Dingli at the West Coast.

The bus routes 202/203 lead from St. Julian's and Sliema above Attard continue after Rabat / Mdina and the Dingli Cliffs. The line 201 starts at Rabat and runs along the west coast over Dingli, Siggiewi and north past Qrendi resp. Temple complexes of Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim in a floor also after Luqa.

The express bus line X3 first leads from the airport near Luqa in the direction of Valletta, but then bends Bikirkara to the west and through Attard to at Rabat / Mdina heading north again Buggiba turn.

In the street

One possibility of access from the large area Valletta is the one across the main street 7 of Marsa as Mriehel bypass around the village of the same name Attard and from there as Triq I-Mdina further towards Rabat and Mdina, it circles the city in a wide arc to the north and ends in the west (parking lots).
An alternative is the road 21 Triq I-Mdina which runs a little further south, from Marsa past Zebbug it leads from the south into the city.

By train

The railway connection between Valletta and Mdina was shut down in 1931, the former Museum Station near Mdina / Mtarfa is still preserved.

mobility

Map of Mdina

Within the city, car traffic is only permitted for the few residents with a special permit, you can walk or take a city tour in a horse-drawn carriage (Karozzin).

  • Gnien Howard; Stand of the Karozin

Tourist Attractions

Palazzi in Mdina
Vilhena Palace
St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina
Churches in Mdina
Carmelite Church
Norman palazzi in Mdina
Palazzo Santa Sofia
Corte Capitanale
Corte Capitanale
  • At the 1 Saqqajja Square The buses arrive in front of the city gate, and the horse-drawn cabs (Karozin) are ready and waiting here. it goes on foot through the city gate into the old town. The park is on the left 2 Howard Gardens located, which was built in the twenties of the last century under the British Prime Minister Joseph Howard.
  • over a bridge over the moat, which is now park-like, and through the large city gate, which was built by Grand Master de Vilhena in 1724 3 Main Gate, will enter Mdina. De Vilhena's coat of arms can be found on the outside of the main gate, on the inside that of the Maltese noble family Inguanez. From the main gate the Villegaignon Street / Triq Villegaignon in a west-east direction through the city, with the parallel leading to the south St. Paul Street / Bastion Street and St Nicholas Street / Magazine Street in the north the main road is connected by streets and alleys, some of which are very narrow. These are practically all slightly curved in order to correspond to the plans of the fortress builders that the visibility in the alleys of the city may not exceed the flight distance of a shot arrow.

  • Malta Mdina Gate

  • at the Pjazza San Publju Immediately after the city gate is the on the right 4 Vilhena Palace, the "Palace of the Grandmaster de Vilhena, Order of St. John of Jerusalem". In the palazzo built by G. Barbera around 1730 with an inner courtyard surrounded by three wings, the Grand Master resided during his time in Mdina. The building was later called Connaught Hospital used, since 1957 the Vilhena Palace has been the seat of the Natural History Museum.
  • in the only surviving watchtower 5 Torre dello Standardo is now the tourist information office.
  • right hand, next to the Vilhena Palace closes 6 Local police building.
  • straight on at the corner Triq Villegaignon / Triq Inguinanez lies that 7 Benedictine convent with its barred windows. Inside there are two chapels, the St. Benedict's Chapel belonging to the monastery with an altarpiece of the Madonna by M. Preti from the 17th century. (the chapel is only accessible to women) and the smaller St. Agatha's Chapel right next to it. The original building from 1417 was built by L. Gafà in the 17th century. remodeled.
  • opposite is the 8 Casa Inguanez, the palazzo of the Inguanez family. He was probably in the 11th century. built under the Normans and first mentioned in documents in 1423. The Inguanez family belonged to the noble families residing in Malta, whose rights and privileges were severely curtailed by the Hospitallers after their arrival. The Spanish royal family still has a permanent right of residence in Casa Inguanez.
  • continue on the Triq Villegaignon leads the next cross street, the Triq Mesquita left to a place and to 9 St. Nicholas Chapel on the corner to Triq San Nikola.
  • the palazzi follow Casa Testaferrata from the 17th century and 10 Banca Giuratale to the right and the Palazzo Gatto Murina on the left.
The building of the Banca Giuratale was under Grand Master de Vilhena in 1730 as the seat of the Università, the assembly of representatives of the local aristocracy. The competencies of Università were subsequently more and more restricted under the rule of St. John and finally included the monitoring of grain imports until the Università was abolished under British rule in 1819. Today the National Archives are housed there.
  • then the one opens to the right Pjazza San Pawl in front of the cathedral. The 11 St. Paul's Cathedral As a bishopric, it is the only cathedral on the island (in Valetta is the Co-Cathedral). In the area of ​​the foundations of the seat of the Roman governor Publius and an early Christian church, the Normans built in the 12th century. a cathedral. After this in the devastating earthquake of 1693 (which also happened in Val di Noto had led to the devastation of several cities in Sicily) had been badly damaged, Lorenzo Gafà built today's cathedral in the baroque style in 1697/1702. The old main portal from the Norman building was redesigned to become the entrance to the sacristy (here painting by M. Preti). In the church, the frescoes with scenes from the life of the apostles Paul and Peter are worth mentioning, the silver statues of the apostles and the Madonna were confiscated by the French gentlemen in 1798 and intended to be melted down. The people of Malta allowed them to be "bought back" at a multiple of their value. The floor of the cathedral consists of numerous splendid tombstones of nobles and clergy dignitaries.
  • on the left side of the cathedral square is the one built in neo-Gothic style 12 town hall from Mdina.
  • the 13 Palazzo Santa Sofia was built in the Norman style in 1233, making it one of the oldest buildings in Mdina. The double arched windows and triangular garlands below the former roof of the building above the ground floor, which leads under a gate entrance, are typical Triq Santa Sofija under the building.
  • across the street the 14 Chapelle St. Rocque / St. Roque Chapel: after Malta was spared the dreaded plague epidemics in the Middle Ages (be it through the work of Saint Roch, be it due to the exemplary hygiene regulations of the Johanniter) a chapel was built in honor of the patron saint of the plague at the city gate. After the main gate was renewed, the chapel had to be relocated; the current building was erected in 1728 under Grand Master Vilhena.
  • the one closes on the left 15 Church and Convent of the Carmelites. It was built when the Carmelite Order settled on the island of Malta in 1630. The church with its oval floor plan and seven side niches / chapels and the adjoining monastery was planned by F. Zammut. The Carmelite monastery was particularly rich in art treasures and therefore a preferred target of Napoleonic looting in 1798, which triggered the uprising of the inhabitants of Malta against the French.
  • In the alley Triq San Pietru one arrives at Old Priory.
  • If you are on the main street Triq Villegaignon continues on the right hand side is a little set back 16 . The original Norman building from the 11th century. was only one story, the upper floor and the division into stables and farm buildings on the lower floor and living rooms with the family room on the upper floor date from the 15th century. After the arrival of the Order of St. John in Malta in 1530, Grand Master L'Isle Adam temporarily used the Falzon family residence as an official residence until 1532. A private museum is now housed in the building.
  • straight ahead you end on the Bastion Square with the walls of the De Redin Bastion. From the bastion, named after Grand Master De Redin, from which a section of the wall is accessible, one has an excellent view of Mtarfa (with the clock tower of the garrison) and after Mosta.
  • The 17 Arcbishops Palace was completed in 1722 and served as the seat of the Archbishop of Malta. Due to the restriction of his privileges by the Order of St. John, the Archbishop remained loyal to his residence in the old capital.
  • The 18 Cathedral Museum on Arcbishops Square is housed in a former seminary built by G. Barbera in 1735. It contains numerous paintings by Italian, Flemish and Maltese masters and carvings ("Little Passion", "Marienleben") and engravings by Albrecht Dürer issued. There are also Punic and Roman ceramics, coins and Maltese embroidery. Much of the treasure was confiscated by Napoleon's troops during the brief period of French occupation and used to finance his Suez campaign.
  • The 19 Corte Capitanale As a former courthouse, it played a role in the uprising of the population of Malta against the French occupiers in 1798 when French commander Masson was overthrown from the balcony by residents of the city enraged at the seizure of church treasures. Today the building is the seat of the Local Council

Museums

Cathedral Museum
Archbishop's Palace
  • 20  Cathedral Museum, Arcbishop's Square. Tel.: 356 214 54697, Email: . Treasures of the Archbishop of Mdina, works by Albrecht Dürer.Open: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-4.30 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-3.30 p.m.Price: 5.00 / 3.50 €.
  • 21  Carmelite Prio Museum, Carmelite Priory, Villegaignon Street. Tel.: 356 2702 0404, Email: . Open: Tue-Sun, 10 am-4pm.Price: 4.00 / 3.00 €.
    , Church, café (in the refectory) and museum.
  • 22  Museum of Natural History (Vilhena Palace), St Publius Square, Mdina MDN 1010. Tel.: 356 21 455 951. Geology, paleontology, flora and fauna of Malta (including the surrounding waters).Open: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.Price: 5.00 / 2.50 €.
  • 23  Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum, Palazzo Falson, Villegaignon Street. Tel.: 356 2145 4512, Fax: 356 2145 1739, Email: . Open: Tue-Sun, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.Price: 10.00 / 5.00 €.
  • 24  The Mdina Experience, Pjazza Mesquita. Tel.: 356 21 454322. Multimedia show of the history of the city of Mdina.Open: 10 a.m. - 4.30 p.m., every hour.Price: 6.00 / 3.00 €.
  • 25  The Knights of Malta, Casa Magazzini, Magazini Road. Tel.: 356 21 451 342. The story of the Knights of the Order of St. John in Malta is presented audiovisually.Open: 10.00-16.30.Price: 5.25 / 2.50 €.
  • 26  The Medieval Times (in the Palazzo Costanzo). life in the Middle Ages in Malta is illustrated by means of slide frames.
  • Mdina dungeons (near the main gate). Tel.: 356 21 450267, Email: . The reality of medieval dungeons and scenes of torture are recreated in figurative scenes.Open: 10.00-16.30.Price: 5.00 / 2.50 €.

activities

  • Approx. 30-minute city tour - tour with the horse-drawn carriage (Karozzin), during which the whole of Mdina is explained, the pleasure is quite expensive at 35 € (2013). The Karozzin stand is at Howard Gardens outside Mdina in front of the Main Gate.
  • The tour of the old town with its numerous churches, palazzi and museums can also be easily done on foot
  • Visit to the Roman villa near the northern Greek Gate.

shop

In the old town there are a few shops for jewelry and souvenirs, including a Mdina Glass shop, shops for groceries and everyday items are more likely to be found in Rabat.

kitchen

  • 1  Fontanella Tea Garden (excellent view from the top of the city wall,), 1, Bastion Street. Tel.: 356 2145 4264, 356 2145 0208, Email: . Maltese specialties and excellent cake selection; the Chocolate Cake is a reason to go to Mdina even for residents of Malta. All food and drinks are noted on a form at the table, with this paper you go to the cash register next to the exit and pay for the whole table, you cannot pay separately.last change: Mar. 2018 (information may be out of date)
  • Bacchus restaurant, 1, Inguanez Street. Tel.: 356 21 454981. In a Roman vault on the city wall.
    i
  • Trattoria AD 1530, Xara Palace Hotel, Misrah il-Kunsill, Mdina MDN 1050. Tel.: 356 21 450560, Fax: 356 21 452612, Email: .
  • 2  Coogi's Restaurant & Tea Garden, 5, Saint Agatha's Esplanade, L-Imdina MDN1160. Tel.: 356 2145 9987.Coogi's Restaurant & Tea Garden on Facebook.Pata. Risotto, pizza, burgers, meat, fish and also vegan. Restaurant with a beautiful inner courtyard and panoramic terrace.Price: main course € 10 - € 20.last change: Mar. 2018 (information may be out of date)

  • Fontanella Tea Garden

  • Coogi's Restaurant & Tea Garden

nightlife

accommodation

  • with the
    1  The Xara Palace, Misrah il-Kunsill, Mdina MDN 1050. Tel.: 356 21 450560, Fax: 356 21 452612, Email: .
    there is only one hotel within the city walls, which is one of the most noble addresses on the island. The building is a beautiful 17th century palazzo.

security

health

  • in nearby Rabat there are practicing doctors and a Health Center, in an emergency that is Mater Dei University Hospital quickly reached in Msida / Birkirkara.

Practical advice

  • jointly operated by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Local Council 27 Tourist Information has been located in the Torre dello Stendardo at the Pjazza San Pblju.

trips

  • Walks to the Dingli Cliffs or Ghain Tuffieha.
  • to Valletta there are direct bus connections.

literature

Web links

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