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Although only 250 square meters in size, the city's history is phenomenally rich. With origins dating back more than 4,000 years, Mdina has been a place marked by its nobility—and its ever-changing rulers, from the Phoenicians to the Greeks to the Romans to the British. Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman; Diodorus Siculus, the Greek historian; and others have praised the city for its opulent lifestyle and magnificent buildings. According to tradition it was here that in 60 A.D. that the Apostle St. Paul is said to have lived after being shipwrecked on the Islands.

Mdina Aerial view

Mdina has had different names and titles depending on its rulers and its role but its medieval name describe it best - ‘Citta' Notabile': the noble city.It was home then, as now, to Malta's noble families; some are descendants of the Norman, Sicilian and Spanish overlords who made Mdina their home from the 12th century onwards. Impressive palaces line its narrow, shady streets.

Mdina main Gate, designed by the French architect Charles François de Mondion in 1724

Mdina Gate, the city's main entrance

The Main Gate is approached by a stone bridge over the moat. The bridge is flanked by two pedestals supporting a triumphal collection of flags, trumpets and spears together with Vilhena's emblem, the lion and a winged sword. The lions, supporting shields are repeated at the Mdina end of the bridge

Mdina Gate, the city's main entrance

Inner side of the Main Gate with a relief portraying the patron saints of Malta: St. Paul at the centre and at his sides St. Publius, his first Maltese follower, and St. Agatha

Inner side of the Main Gate: St. Paul and at his side St. Agatha holding one of her breasts and palm frond to symbolize her martyrdom

Mdina Gate, the city's main entrance

The Mdina Dungeons are located beneath the Magisterial Vilhena Palace just inside the main entrance gate to Mdina. Set in the old cells below the Courts of Justice are more than 20 waxwork set pieces of British torture methods used in the early 1800s.  Here in these series of secret underground passageways, chambers and cells a number of events, have been recreated to portray events from the dark side of Maltese history.

Palazzo Vilhenadates to 1730 and was designed as a Grand Master's summer residence

Main door to Palazzo Vilhena, French Baroque Architecture

Museum of Natural History in Malta, Palazzo Vilhena dates to 1730 and was designed as a Grand Master's summer residence.

Palazzo Vilhena

St.Agatha chapel, Villegagnon Street (1417)The chapel was remodeled in 1694 by Lorenzo Gafa.M

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Testaferrata Palace

Malta is famed for its elaborate door knockers. This one appears at the door of the house of Testaferrata

Testaferrata Palace

Inguanez House in front of Testaferrata Palace

Occupying an entire block, Casa Inguanez has been the Inguanez home since the 14th C. Citto Gatto was named a baron in 1350 for quelling an uprising of the Gozitans against their Aragonese masters, and his direct descendants, the Inquanex, are the oldest of Malta's noble families. In 1432 King Alfonso V of Aragon stayed here, as did Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1927

Banca Giuratale at the Triq Villegaignon streetThis "Municipal Palace" was built in 1730 as a records office and is still used for this purpose. It is an exquisite example of Baroque handiwork. Two stories of crisp detail, florid carving and elaborate windows are set beneath two equally elaborate corners of what look like limestone flowerpots of dotty ornaments.

Banca Giuratale

Banca Giuratale

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Banca Giuratale

Mdina Front of the Corte Capitanale building at the Misrah Il-Kunsill square

Front of the Xara Palace hotel at the Misrah Il-Kunsill square

East building of the Xara Palace hotel at the Misrah Il-Kunsill square

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Palazzo Santa Sofiais considered the oldest building in Malta. The date on the plaque of this manor says the structure dates from 1233 but this may be unreliable. The upper floor was added in 1938

Palazzo Santa Sofia

The karozzin is a Maltese traditional mode of transport consisting of a carriage pulled by a horse or pair of horses. It was once popular for general transit and is still used in ceremonies such as funerals, and as a tourist attraction. It is mostly found at Mdina and Valletta, and dates to the mid-nineteenth century.

The Karozzin, the traditional Maltese horse drawn carriage

St.Peter 'ad vincula' (St.Peter in Chains) was rebuilt in 1580. It was restored in 1956

Palazzo Falson, popularly known as the ‘Norman House'

Entrance to the Palazzo Falzon (Norman House) at the Triq Villegaignon street

The Norman House, formerly known as Palazzo Falzon was built at the end of the 15th century in the Siculo-Norman style by the Aragonese Vice-Admiral Falzon. Although the Norman House is of a much later period than the Palazzo Santa Sofia (1233) nearby, the string course is identical and the decorated double windows are magnificent. Their only equivalents are said to be found only in Sicily and Southern Italy.

During the Second World War a stray bomb damaged the courtyard of the Norman House, but this was subsequently restored.

This is the palace where Grand Master L'Isle-Adam was received and stayed two days after his ceremonial reception and state entry into Mdina in 1530.

Palazzo Falson is a typical two-storey medieval palace fashioned on Sicilian examples of its period, and is one of the imposing Palazzi built by the Sicilian, Spanish and local nobility in Mdina.

In 2001,Palazzo Falson was transformed into a Historic House Museum

Palazzo FalsonPharmacy jars Paris, 18th century

The Norman House contains paintings of well-known masters, glass and silver, plate, pharmacy jars, furniture and a collection of Maltese silver and gold objects, as well as a Library of extensive "Melitensia".

Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum opened to the public on the 4th May, 2007

Text: Internet

Pictures: Sanda Foi oreanuş

Gabriela Cristescu

InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foi oreanuşwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Benny & Tonia - The Silent City (Mdina)