Published by:

Heland Project

Promoting socio-economic sustainable development through

innovative technological actions for Mediterranean tourism-
heritage and landscape protection clusters.
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication
are the sole responsibility of University of Malta and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European
Union.
Copyright © Heland Project – University of Malta – 2015
Heland team: Nadia Theuma, George Cassar, Sarah Faith Azzopardi, Giusy Cardia
No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retreval system or transmitted in any form by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the previous permission of the publisher.
ISBN: 978-99957-886-0-5
The 2007-2013 EN PI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme is a multilateral Cross-Border Cooperation
initiative funded by the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (EN PI). The Programme objective
is to promote the sustainable and harmonious cooperation process at the Mediterranean Basin level by dealing
with the common challenges and enhancing its endogenous potential. It finances cooperation projects as a
contribution to the economic, social, environmental and cultural development of the Mediterranean region. The
following 14 countries participate in the Programme: Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon,
Malta, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Syria (participation currently suspended), Tunisia. The Joint Managing Authority
(JMA) is the Autonomous Region of Sardinia (Italy). Official Programme languages are Arabic, English and French
(www.enpicbcmed.eu).
The European Union is made up of 28 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-
how, resources and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 50 years, they have built a zone of
stability, democracy and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance and individual
freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and
peoples beyond its borders
Punic Maleth ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................4
Roman Melite ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6
St Paul visits Melite .................................................................................................................................................................................................................8
The Byzantines take over the city ......................................................................................................................................................................10
Arab Medina .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................12
Count Roger attacks Malta .........................................................................................................................................................................................14
Feudal times ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................16
A Jewish community ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................18
The siege of 1429 ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................20
A chapel for St Agatha and another chapel for St Roque ..................................................................................................23
The Consiglio Popolare and the Universitas .........................................................................................................................................24
Mdina and the attack of 1551...............................................................................................................................................................................26
A medieval house ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................28
The Grandmaster enters in Mdina ....................................................................................................................................................................30
The fortified city .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................31
The Great Siege of 1565 ...............................................................................................................................................................................................32
Cloistered nuns in Mdina...............................................................................................................................................................................................34
An earthquake hits Mdina ...........................................................................................................................................................................................36
The Cathedral of Malta ...................................................................................................................................................................................................38
Mdina turns Baroque .........................................................................................................................................................................................................40
The Maltese besiege Mdina ......................................................................................................................................................................................42
Epidemics and hospitals.................................................................................................................................................................................................44
The not so silent city...........................................................................................................................................................................................................46
Answers ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................48

Author’s note:
This book is meant to be an enticing cultural heritage introduction especially to the younger generation. It
presents Mdina through time by looking at everyday life in the city and beyond from Punic times to the present
day. The text is written in such a way so as to be more easily understood by adolescents from 13 years of age.
The contents brings together information, pictorial sources and various writing and drawing exercises, all meant
to challenge the readers and invite them to seek further information and do more research on the subject. The
book is aimed to introduce cultural heritage and its study, and it is hoped that those adolescents who read this
book will appreciate Maltese heritage more, increasing in them the spirit of respect, conservation and support.
It is important to increase cultural awareness in the next generation as it is only in this way that local heritage is
safeguarded for future generations.

The author would like to thank the following for their support: Dr Stephen C. Spiteri, Mr Max Farrugia, Mr Peter
Bartolo Parnis, Midsea Books Ltd

This book is not for sale

Design and Printing: Best Print Co LTD, Qrendi • Tel: 21 680 789

Punic Maleth
At around the year 800 BC the Maltese islands were
visited by a people that came from the shores of a
land which today is called Lebanon. They were the
Phoenicians, sea travellers whose main activity was
trading. A stop at Malta was a natural choice as the
Phoenician sailors sought good harbours where to
bring in their ships for shelter and to rest while on
their travels to different places in the Mediterranean
region.
The historian Diodorus of Sicily, who wrote in the 1st
century BC, said that the Phoenicians went well with
the inhabitants of the island as these found help from
the sea-merchants and this improved their way of life
and they became better known. In this way Maleth, as
it was now called, became a Phoenician colony.
As time passed, some of the Phoenician people settled
in North Africa and established a city called Carthage.
They were more warlike then the earlier Phoenicians
and as there was a threat to the Maltese islands by
the Greeks, the Carthaginians came to help defend
the islands. They occupied Maleth and Gaulos (Gozo)
in 480 BC.
The Phoenicians, though they usually settled on the
coasts near the sea, may have also started to build
a town on the high ground which is today Rabat
and Mdina. It is more likely, however, that it was
the Carthaginians that settled inland and started to
build Rabat and Mdina, as the population of Maleth
4 5
A Carthaginian warship
increased. The many rock-cut tombs that have been
found by archaeologists around Rabat indicate that
the area was inhabited by many people during Punic
times. It is thought that a ditch was also cut to protect
the new town.
During the First Punic War (264 to 241 BC) Maleth was
attacked by the Romans but it was not conquered. It
thus continued to live under Carthaginian control
till the Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) when the
Romans defeated Hannibal and his armies and Maleth
became part of the Roman lands in 218 BC.
Maleth is attacked by the Romans
When the Romans won their first sea battle
over the Carthaginians in 260 BC they
became powerful enough to be able to attack
the islands in the Mediterranean. Maleth
and Gaulos were now defenceless as the
Romans could reach and attack them with
their ships. The Roman consul, Caius Atilius
Regulus, took his fleet and sailed to the Lipari
Islands and defeated the Carthaginian fleet.
In the year 257 BC he then landed an army
on Maleth. The Romans destroyed all there
was on the island and stole all they could.
The Roman poet Gnaeus Naevius (254 –195
BC) wrote a poem called Bellum Punicum
(The Punic War). In it he described the
Roman attack on Maleth:
“The Roman force crossed over to Malta,
burned the island which had been untouched
before then, destroyed it, and laid waste to
it, and made spoil of the enemies’ goods.”
Phoenician merchants used their ships to visit places
in the Mediterranean and trade their goods The Phoenicians introduced the first alphabet in the Mediterranean region
Put in the missing words in this paragraph
which speaks about life in Punic times
alphabet Tyre cedar cloth purple Murex Lebanon
The Phoenicians came from the lands which today are part of . Famous cities of the
time were Byblos, and Sidon. These people were traders and able seamen. Their
ships were made from the famous Lebanese trees as this wood was perfect for strong
seagoing ships. Phoenician traders transported and exchanged goods such as ,
pottery and wine. Their cloth was famous for its colour which was extracted from
the shell of a sea snail called .
One of the greatest contributions of the Phoenicians was the development of a phonetic
which helped to create the Greek alphabet and Greek literature.
 Roman Melite
In Roman times the town of Mdina was called Melite.
It was much larger than it is today. The ditch that
separated the Roman town from the surrounding land
passed near St Paul’s Grotto. Part of the ditch can still
be seen behind St Paul’s church in Rabat. It followed
the direction along what today is Triq Santa Rita.
There were many town houses like the Roman domus
that is found today just outside the walls of Mdina.
The streets of Melite were laid in a different way
from how they are in Mdina of today. Inside the
town there was a temple dedicated to the god
Apollo with four columns (called
a tetrastyle) and it was found
in the area in front of where
there is the Benedictine
monastery today in
Villegaignon Street. It
was built on a podium to
appear high and it was
reached by a flight of
steps. In front of the
temple there would
be a place where
people sat down. It
was in the form of
a semi-circle and
was like a Roman
theatre. The statue
of Apollo would have
been covered in a gold.
Statue of a draped female
figure probably a portrait
statue found at the Roman
domus in Rabat
6 7
Beautiful designs of Roman mosaic craftsmanship found at the Roman domus
Roman remains in the grounds of the Roman domus – an olive
press is seen in the centre
A possible type of temple dedicated to Apollo which
was found in the city of Melite, called a tetrastyle
Apollo
The god Apollo comes from the religion of ancient
Greece. Many people prayed to Apollo as he was the god
of light, youth, beauty, poetry, and music. He played the
lyre (which was a musical instrument like a small harp).
Roman mosaics
The Romans embellished their houses with mosaics. The mosaicists were
considered to be craftsmen and not artists. In fact, while the true artists signed
their works, those who created the mosaics rarely did so.
Mosaics were used to embellish places such as floors, but also to make them
hardier such as the pebbled roads. The wealthy Romans hired able craftsmen
to make their villa (country house) or domus (town house) nicer and richer with
artistic mosaics.
Mosaics are important for us today because they showed scenes from Roman
times. Subjects included: wildlife, nature, harvests, fruit, hunting, everyday life,
battle scenes, and much more.
Roman upper class women
Some good examples of mosaics can be seen in the Roman domus in Rabat.
Roman gods
Match these gods with what they represented
APOLLO | | God of the sky, weather and air and also of law, order, justice, and
government.
JUPITER |
| Queen of the gods. Goddess of marriage and women. Protector and
VENUS | counsellor of Rome.
| God of war, spring and justice.
MARS |
| Goddess of love.
MIREVA |
| Goddess of wisdom, useful arts and crafts.
VESTA | | Goddess of the home and patron of Rome.
JUNO | | God of poetry, music, and oracles.
 that St Paul cured the father of this important man
from a serious fever. The Acts of the Apostles say that
ST PAUL VISITS MELITE when the people of Malta heard that Paul had cured
Publius’ father they came to Paul to be cured by him.

Though we have no proof, it is believed that Publius

lived in a house which stood on the spot where the
cathedral of Mdina was later built.
In the year 60 AD (Anno Domini – therefore 60 years
after Jesus Christ was born), an important event Tradition holds that Publius converted to Christianity
took place which the Maltese are very proud of. It is and was made the first bishop of Malta. We have no
connected with an important saint of the Catholic written proof of this and the first bishop of Malta that
faith. His name is St Paul. His Jewish name was Saul we know something about is Julianus who appears in
and he was born in the city of Tarsus (which is today documents for the first time in May of the year 553.
in Turkey).

While on his way to appear before the Roman Emperor

Nero, the ship which was carrying Paul to Rome met a
terrible storm and he was shipwrecked in Malta. The
Apostle St Paul was welcomed by the Maltese as he
came ashore and was treated well as were all the
other 175 survivors from the wrecked ship.

Paul is said to have lived in a grotto or cave just outside

the walls of Melite for some months. The place is
An old picture showing the baptism of Publius by Saint Paul
known as St Paul’s Grotto and it is found in Rabat.
Tradition also holds that Paul was invited to visit the
most important Roman official whose name was IN THE ACTS OF THE
Publius and who lived in the city of Melite. It is said A painting of St Publius as bishop of Malta APOSTLES (ACTS 27-28),
ST LUKE SPEAKS OF THE The three patron saints of Malta – Publius, Paul and Agatha
MALTESE IN THESE WORDS

“And later we learned that the island was

called Malta. And the people who lived
there showed us great kindness, and they
made a fire and called us all to warm
ourselves...”
FIND THESE FIVE SAINTS
THEY ARE PATRONS OF MALTA AND GOZO
Paul - Publius - Agatha - George - Mary

P U B L I U S L O P

A A J K L I P G H M

U G A F T E R I O A

L A B T T R H U I R

G T F G H J M T E Y

A H O P G E O R G E

C A B N J O P D R T

P U B L I U S G O R
A stamp of 1919 commemorating the shipwreck
It is believed, according to tradition, that Paul stayed in this grotto in Rabat while he was in Malta of Saint Paul

8 9

The Byzantines
take over the city
Byzantine soldiers
With the breakdown of the Roman Empire in the West
about the 5th century AD, Malta became part of the
Roman Empire of the East. This was called Byzantium
and its capital city was called Constantinople (today
the city is called Istanbul and it is in Turkey).
The Byzantines seem to have abandoned the Maltese
islands for some years and during this time the
Vandals (who ruled North Africa) may have invaded
A mosaic which possible shows the famous general Belisarius
10
The Greek's Gate of Mdina
The name of this gate reminds us of the presence of the Byzantines who
were also called Greeks. In that part of Mdina one can see the remains of the
fortifications which may have been built by the Byzantines. Big stones form
part of the high wall. When the Order of St John came to Malta in 1530, some
Greeks from Rhodes came to stay in Mdina in this area and so Greeks’ Gate
also reminds us of these new settlers.
Byzantine icons
Icons are artistic works that show
sacred images. They represent saints,
Christ, and Our Lady. Today when
one refers to icons it is understood
that these are paintings on wooden
panels. However in Byzantine times
artists produced icons by using various
A mosaic showing everyday life – a man feeding his donkey materials including marble, ivory,
ceramic, gemstone, precious metal,
Malta sometime during the period between the years
enamel, textile, fresco, and mosaic.
427 and 477 AD. Later on, the Goths may have also
attacked Malta, but in both cases we have no proof. Colour these Byzantine icons of St Peter and St Paul
The great general Belisarius, commanding a large
Byzantine fleet, occupied Malta in the year 533 or
535. Byzantium used the island as a place where
it exiled (people punished by being sent away from
their homeland) those who did not agree with the rule
of the emperor. It may be that the Byzantines also
began to reduce the size of Melite and fortifying it
with round towers such as one which can still be seen
at the back of the city facing Mtarfa.
While Malta was under the Byzantines they continued
to pay taxes and carried on with their main industry
which was the production of ceramics.
The end of Byzantine rule came in the year 870 when
the Arabs took Malta.
A Byzantine coin
connected to Malta
11
 Arab Medina
The Aghlabid Arabs who came from North Africa,
first invaded Sicily and drove the Byzantines out of
that island. Then they decided to attack Malta and
capture it. In the year 869, Muhammad II, the Emir
of Ifriqiya (this land today covers Tunisia and parts
of Libya and Algeria), sent a fleet under Ahmad al-
Habashi to attack Malta. The Byzantine soldiers that
were defending Malta received some reinforcements
and therefore managed to stop the Arab attack.
In 870 the Aghlabids tried again and this time they
succeeded in capturing the fortress of Malta on 29
August. The Byzantine governor of Malta surrendered
and everything in the town of Melite was stolen by the
Arab troops. It is said that their commander, Ahmad
al-Habashi, took the marble columns of the cathedral
back with him to decorate his palace. The Arabs also
destroyed the fortifications of the town. From the
year 909, Malta passed to the Fatimid Arabs who had
conquered all of North Africa and Sicily.
The Arabs stayed in Malta for hundreds of years. The
main town was renamed Medina. No architecture
remains that tells us how the Arabs lived and how their
houses looked. It is thought that the main mosque in
the Medina was built on the place where the cathedral
stands today.
Arab costumes
from the Arabic period
12
Aghlabid Arabs attacking a city during their advance to conquer Sicily
When Count Roger the Norman, who had won Sicily
from the Arabs, invaded Malta in 1091, the Muslims
were allowed to continue to live in the island and little
changed. Therefore, for some time the Arab emir (an A Muslim cemetery
Arab word that means governor or leader) continued
to administer the islands but had to pay a tax on One can still see an ancient Muslim
mules, horses and weapons. cemetery just outside the walls of
Mdina where the Arabs used to bury
Muslim domination continued until the 13th century. their dead. The tombs were dug in
It is known that in 1122 the Muslims of Malta rose the same grounds where there were
against the Christian rulers and in 1127 King Roger Roman houses very close to the
II of Sicily had to attack Malta to recapture it. The present Roman domus.
Muslims continued to stay in Malta till 1249 but after
that year no one was allowed to practice Islam if he or
The name of Mdina
she wanted to remain on the island.
The present name of the city, Mdina, comes from the time of the Arab rule of Malta. They called it Medina – the
city. The town that lies just outside the walls of Mdina, also became known by the Arabic name, Rabat (that is,
the suburb or a place tied (marbut) with the main city).
This is Islamic art. Try to draw the missing parts of this pattern.
13
 Count Roger
attacks Malta
While Malta was ruled by the Arabs, Sicily too was
in their hands. However, by 1090 Count Roger of
Hauteville, who was a Norman, had defeated the
Arabs in Sicily and occupied that island. Count Roger
now decided to attack Malta. The story of Roger’s
attack on Malta and Medina was told by Goffredo
Malaterra, a historian and a Benedictine monk who
wrote a book about the life of Count Roger and his
brother Duke Robert.

It was in July of the year 1091 that Roger led a great

army for the invasion of Malta. His ship was faster
than the rest of the fleet and arrived first in Malta. He
mounted his horse and together with some knights went
ashore to fight against the troops that had been sent to
stop him. During this battle many of the defenders ran
away to find shelter behind the walls of Medina.

At dawn on the next day, the Normans advanced

towards Medina and put it under siege. In the
meantime other Norman troops went around Malta
and took all the things they liked.
A Norman cavalryman
The brothers Robert and Roger of Hauteville and their coat of
arms with the red and white squares
The Arab ruler of Malta was called gaytus or qayd.
Both he and the inhabitants of the island, were not
familiar with the demands of war. They were afraid
of the Normans and so asked to talk to the Count to
agree on peace. Roger wanted them to free all their
Christian prisoners, many of whom were held in the
city. He also took horses, mules and armaments, and
ordered the people to pay large sums of money. The
Muslims agreed to the Count’s demands and accepted
to obey his commands.
The freed Christian captives came out of Medina
holding crosses made from pieces of wood and
other material and shouted in Greek the words ‘Kyrie
Eleison’ (Lord have mercy), thanking the Count for
freeing them.
When all this was over, Roger and his men embarked
on their ships and sailed towards Sicily but first he
invaded Gozo, took many things from there and made
the island part of his domain.
A long-held tradition
It has long been held that the Maltese flag was given and gave it to the Maltese. There is no proof that this
to the Maltese by Count Roger the Norman when he has ever taken place but one still hears this story and
invaded Malta in 1091. According to this legend the there are those who believe it.
Count tore a piece of his chequered red and white flag
Who were the Normans?
The Normans were originally Vikings who
used to raid places in northern Europe. In
the 10th and 11th centuries they settled
in the north of France and gave their
name to this land. It became known as
Normandy, that is, the land of the people
of the North – Norsemen. With time they
married with Franks and Roman-Gauls
who lived in the French lands and then
continued to mix and merge with other
inhabitants of West France. They became
a strong people, were famous for their
fighting abilities and for being strong
supporters of the Christian religion. Some
of the Normans went down to southern The Normans in battle, from an old document
Italy and by 1090 they had established
the Kingdom of Sicily when they defeated the Arabs and the Byzantines. Other Normans invaded England and
conquered it too in 1066. In 1091 Count Roger the Norman attacked Malta and conquered it.

14 15
 Feudal times
The lords and their
ladies in medieval times
Malta remained under Muslim influence even after
Count Roger invaded the island in 1091. His son, King
Roger II, attacked Malta once again in 1127 and the
Norman conquest brought the Maltese islands within
the Kingdom of Sicily. Along the twelfth century, the
strong Muslim cultural presence began to decrease
and slowly Malta became European in its manners
and ways of life. Many people from Sicily and Southern
Italy began to arrive and settle in Malta and these
found a home in the city of Mdina.
In 1191 the Maltese were given the first Count of
Malta. He was Margaritus of Brindisi, a Grand Admiral
of Sicily. He was the first feudal lord but many others
were appointed after him up till 1427.
By the end of the 14th century (1300s) Malta had its
Consiglio Popolare or local government which met
in Mdina. This was led by the Capitano della Verga
or Captain of the Rod (the rod was the symbol of
leadership). The first known Capitano della Verga was
Giacomo Pellegrino (1356).
King Roger II going to war
16
The feudal system - feudalism
This system was born in the Middle Ages. The lord held the land. The vassal was a
person who was given that land by the lord. The vassal would give the lord services
to pay for being able to use that land. The land was called the fief. Malta was
for many years a fief, passing from one feudal lord to another. The
Maltese served the feudal lord by giving their work, by paying taxes,
and by obeying the wishes of the lord that owned Malta. It was the
king that gave Malta as a fief to these feudal lords.
The last time Malta was given as a fief was when Emperor Charles V
gave the island to the Order of St John. The Knights came in 1530.
Peasants preparing the soil for cultivation
Malta is joined to Sicily
It was in the year 1239-40 that Emperor Frederick II
brought Malta under Sicilian authority. He appointed A knight in full armour
a governor who is known in documents as Paolino di
Malta (Paul of Malta). This governor was in charge of
the three castles on the Maltese islands – Mdina, Birgu
and Gozo. He had a force of 150 soldiers which were
later increased to 220. During his governorship, Malta
was used to breed falcons. These birds of prey were
used for hunting and the Emperor himself had written
a book on the art of hunting with falcons. As Frederick
was interested in the falcons that were in Malta, in
Find some information
about the revolt of the Maltese against the feudal lord
1240 he sent his falconer (the official that took care Don Gonsalvo Monroy which started in 1426. Continue …..
of falcons and hunting) William Ruggino, along with
other falconers and their men, to check and inform him
about the number of such birds living on these islands. The Maltese became evermore unhappy and in 1426, with the support
of the Universitas, they rose in protest, broke into Monroy’s house
in Mdina and then attacked the Castrum Maris (later called Fort
St Angelo) at Birgu.
King Frederick II of Sicily with his falcons
17
 A Jewish
The Jews are sent away

The Maltese islands belonged to the The Maltese Consiglio Popolare tried

community Spanish Crown and therefore had

to obey all the orders which were
issued by King Ferdinand and Queen
to convince the King and Queen
to let the Jews of Malta stay. They
brought the argument that if they
Isabella. In April 1492 an Edict of left than the total population of the
Expulsion was announced by which islands would be greatly reduced.
In Malta and Gozo in the Middle Ages lived a no Jew was to continue to remain in However, nothing could convince the
community of Jews. In Mdina the Jews had their the lands of the Kingdom of Spain. authorities and the Jews left much of
synagogue which seems to have been in an area Only those Jews that converted to their belongings and wealth in Malta
where later on Palazzo Falson was built around the Christianity could remain. It did not and left in 1492.
first half of the 13th century (1200s). matter whether they were wealthy or
poor Jews.
During the Muslim domination, from 870 AD onwards,
members of the Jewish community served as civil
servants. When the Normans took over the islands the
composition of the population consisted of Muslims,
Christians and Jews. In 1240 in a report by Abbot
Gilbert to Emperor Frederick II, it is indicated that in The Alhambra Decree by which
the Jews were sent away from
the Maltese islands there were 25 Jewish families, that the Spanish Empire
is, about 250 Jews.
A Jewish money lender wearing the special
pointed hat which Jews had to wear in
Europe according to the law so that they
Ferdinand and Isabella decided to send away all Jews from their kingdom could be recognised

Complete the menorah

The seven-branched menorah is a candelabrum

which was used since ancient times in the Temple.
It is also used as a Jewish symbol.

A seated Jewish rabbi from an ancient document King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain

In the 15th century (1400s) the Jews in

Mdina made up between one-fourth and
one-third of the population of that city.
They were part of the community and
gave their share to the defence of Malta
and did unpaid work on the maintenance
of the walls of the city. Two Militia Lists,
one of 1419-20 and the other of around
1425, give the names of the men who
had to do military duties. The first list
shows 132 Christian and 58 Jewish men
in the roll. The second lists 117 Christian
men and 51 Jewish men. There is also
another document, that is an angara
list for unpaid work on the repairs of
the bastions of Mdina. This indicates
that around the year 1485 there were
133 Christian men and 52 Jewish men A medieval map showing Mdina – the fortified city
available for such work. As these lists
only give the number of adult men, one then needs to calculate the number of women and children. A rough
calculation for the total number of Jews in Mdina comes to about 300 persons. A menorah etched in the rock in one of the catacombs in Rabat

18 19
 A legend
It is said that St George, St Agatha and St Paul helped Later on the famous Italian artist Mattia Preti was
the Maltese during this siege. St Paul rode a white asked to paint a picture of St Paul on horseback as
horse and held a dagger in his hand in defence of the he may have appeared during the 1429 siege. The
Maltese in Mdina. painting, which he completed in 1682, is found in St
Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina.

In the Middle Ages, Malta was always in danger. As

there were only three forts (Mdina, Birgu and Rabat
in Gozo), and the Maltese soldiers were not very well
trained to fight, the islands did not have a strong
defence. Mdina was the main town that had defensive
walls and therefore, when Malta was attacked by
corsairs (this was another name for pirates) or soldiers,
the inhabitants went to take shelter behind the walls
of Mdina.

In 1429 we know about a heavy attack on Mdina by

Muslim troops coming from North Africa known as the
Barbary Coast. After taking North Africa, the Hafsidi
Muslims had a plan to win Sicily. But to do so they
needed to control Malta first. At this time the Maltese
population numbered between 5,000 and 6,000
persons out of which the men provided its only real
A Barbary corsair sailing boat
defence. The attacking force, commanded by Kaid
Ridavan, consisted of around 18,000 men.
It is said that the Hafsidi troops put bread in front
of the closed gates of the town to show the Maltese
that while the attackers had all the food they needed,
the people inside Mdina would soon be dying of The artist Mattia Preti St Paul on a white horse appearing over the walls of Mdina
hunger. So it would be better to surrender. However, during the attack by the Muslims – in a painting by Mattia Preti
the Maltese did not fall for this trick. During the night
they sneaked out of the town and placed a cheeslet or
ġbejna on top of each piece of bread. They wanted to
show the Berbers that not only did they have enough
bread but they also had cheeslets to go with it!

After three days of fighting the invading army left

Mdina but before embarking on their sailing ships they
Maltese cheeselets called ġbejniet
stole all they could from the villages and took about
3,000 Maltese as slaves while killing many others.
The Muslim force laid siege to Mdina, which was the
most important place in Malta. They tried to capture
the town even by using a trick. But the Maltese did not
fall for it.

The medieval walls of Mdina Slaves being sold in the slave market

The painting of St Agatha
found in the chapel – done in
thanksgiving after the 1551
Muslim attack on Mdina
St Agatha is an important saint
in Malta. She is in fact one of the
three national patron saints. In
the city of Mdina there is a chapel
dedicated to this saint.
It is known that in the year 1410 a
nobleman named Francesco Gatt Grandmaster of the Order Adrien de Wignacourt her days in a rock hewn crypt at
and his wife Donna Paola Castelli
built a chapel in the city. This was however destroyed Christian Faith to children. After some time, Agatha
when a big earthquake hit Malta in 1693.
A second chapel was then built some time later. It was praetor (magistrate) of Catania, who condemned her
designed by the famous Maltese architect Lorenzo
Gafà who also designed the cathedral. The newly built
chapel was opened in 1696 and Grandmaster Adrien
de Wignacourt was present for this ceremony.
With the passing of time the chapel needed to be
restored. It was only opened on the feast day of St
th
Agatha which is on the 5 of February. In recent years
the chapel was however restored and is now very nice
and attractive. It is open to the public on a regular
basis.
Tick the countries or cities
of whom St Agatha is patron saint
| Catania
| Paris
| Rome
| Germany
| Cyprus
| San Marino
| Molise
| Malta
22
The chapel dedicated to St Roque is found in
Villegaignon Street. It was built in the years 1723-30
by order of Grandmaster de Vilhena to replace an
earlier chapel which had stood very close to the main
St Agatha comes to Malta gate of Mdina. The new chapel was dedicated to St
Roque, the saint protector from plague and other
According to Maltese tradition,
physical diseases. Though Mdina had been spared
during the persecution of Roman
from the plague of 1675-76 which killed more than
Emperor Decius (AD 249–251),
11,000 people from all over Malta, the chapel was The interior of the chapel
Agatha, together with some of her
dedicated to these victims. The plague epidemics
friends, fled from Sicily, and took
refuge in Malta. Some historians
which visited Malta during the time of the Order of St St Roque and Malta
John were in 1592, 1623, 1655, and 1675-76.
believe that her stay on the island
was rather short, and she spent Roque was born in the French town of Montpellier
Inside this chapel there is a paining showing Our Lady around the mid-fourteenth century. When he lost
of Light. The original chapel which was demolished his parents at the age of 20, he decided to donate
Rabat, praying and teaching the
to build the Vilhena Palace, was known as Santa all his wealth to the poor and left for Italy. When he
Maria della Porta (Our arrived in the town of Aquapendente which was hit by
returned to Sicily, where she faced martyrdom.
Lady of the Gate). The plague, the saint took care of the sick and cured them
Agatha was arrested and brought before Quintanus,
façade of the chapel by putting his hand on them and making the sign of
of St Roque is baroque the cross. In other towns in Italy where there was the
to torture and imprisonment. She died shortly after as
in style with French plague, this seemed to stop because of the miracles
a virgin and martyr in prison.
decorative features. he used to do. In Piacenza he became sick with the
It was the Bishop of plague himself and for this he was sent away from the
The crypt of St Agatha in which it is said the young
Malta Paul Alpheran city. He went to stay alone to die quietly, but a dog
Agatha stayed in Malta has been a very important
de Bussan who paid for used to bring him food every day. St Roque recovered
place of religion from early times. This was enlarged
its construction. Inside and went back to Montpellier where he died a natural
and decorated with frescos during the 4th or 5th
there is a single altar. death around 1397.
centuries.
Bishop Paul Alpheran de Bussan
St Agatha continued to protect the Maltese through The Maltese have prayed to St Roque from long ago
time such as during the 1551 attack on Mdina and to protect them from the plague. A number of chapels
is today a patron What is each saint the patron of ? have been dedicated to
saint of Malta. him in Malta, found in
Attard, Balzan, Birkirkara,
St Rita | | patron saint of all
Floriana, Żebbuġ (Malta
animals.
and Gozo), Mdina and
St Francis
of Assisi | | patron saint of music
Valletta. Many statues
of this saint can also be
seen in the streets of
| patron saint of servants
St Christopher | and cooks
many towns and villages.
There are also numerous
paintings and statues
St Cecilia |
| patron saint of travellers
depicting St Roque in the
and of children
churches.
St Martha | | patron saint of
St Agatha in a impossible cases The patrons saints against the
stamp of 2004 plague – St Sebastian and St Roque
23
 The Consiglio Popolare
and the Universitas
Though Malta was under the Viceroy of Sicily, the everyday administration
King Alfonso V of Aragon
The officials included the governor of Malta or Capitano della Verga who was called Ħakem in Maltese, four
Giurati who saw to the day to day administration of the government, three judges, and a notary. The other
officials were:
Members of the Universitas discussing matters
of the island was put in the hands of the Consiglio Popolare and
the Universitas. The Consiglio had a number of functions. It sent
representatives, who were called ambassadors, to speak to
the viceroy in Sicily or to the king in Spain. It could ask for
compensation for any complaints that came up, and was
also expected to suggest methods for the government of
the island. They checked the money accounts of the officials
whose term had ended, commented on their administration
and sometimes imposed taxes and passed laws.
In 1428 King Alfonso V of Aragon gave Malta back to the
Maltese after it had been under feudal lords for many years.
In 1429 he issued an order by which all the government officials
were to be elected only from among the Maltese. The Consiglio
Popolare was given more power. The Maltese islands were divided
into casals (houses) that is, all the families elected the representatives of
the Maltese which were the Giurati or Jurats of the Universitas and the
other officials of the government.
24
„ the Capitano d’armi,
„ the Castellan of the Castrum Civitatis (the Castle
of the City)
„ two acatapani – responsible for the control of
weights and measures
„ the supramarammerius – took care of public
works
„ the secreto – gathered the taxes and land rent
which was given to the king
„ the portulano – ensured the proper conservation
of supplies stored in the houses of the port
„ the massaro – took care of customs on imports
and imposed taxes on them
„ the credenziere – registered all provisions
imported from Sicily
„ the vice-admiral
„ the bajulo – the keeper of the prison
„ the constables – took care of patrolling and
policing
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V who gave Malta to the Order of
St John
One King’s promise is broKen by
another
On 22 May 1507, King Alfonso V declared that:
“We acknowledge the right of the Maltese People to
remain attached to our Crown for ever and declare
that any future deed of alienation or cession will be
The Banca Giuratale or the municipium where the Mdina Council null and invalid.”
met to decide on rules and regulations from the 17th century
The King therefore had announced that the Maltese
Write the names of islands would remain part of the Kingdom forever and
4 Captains of the Rod he continued that, if in the future Malta was given
away or did not remain part of the Crown of Aragon,
this action would not be valid.
Towards the end of 1523 talks between the Order of St
John and Emperor Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor),
who was also the King of Spain, began so that Malta
could be given to the Knights. After long talks the
Order finally decided to accept the offer made by
Emperor Charles and the act was signed on 24 March
1530 at Castelfranco. Then, Grandmaster L’Isle Adam
came to Malta on 26 October 1530.
25
 St Agatha helps the people of Mdina
Mdina and A Maltese historian named Giacomo Bosio in 1602

the attack of 1551
In 1536 the ships of the Knights of St John joined
those of Venice and the Pope under the command of
the able Admiral Andrea Doria. This force attacked
Mahdia, the town of the famous corsair (pirate) Turgut
Reis or Dragut and destroyed it.
This angered Dragut, and together with Sinan Pasha,
he decided to attack Malta, which was under the
Order of St John, in revenge. The Maltese had been
preparing for an attack by making Mdina more
defendable. They destroyed all the buildings – houses,
churches, warehouses – which were close to the main
gates so that the enemy would not be able to take
shelter or hide in them.
In July 1551 a strong attacking force made up of
Turks and Barbary corsairs landed in Malta. As the
news spread among the Maltese, those living in the
countryside ran for shelter behind the walls of Birgu
and Mdina. The defence of Mdina, consisting of about
2000 troops, was under the command of the Knight
Fra Giorgio Adorno. The lookout was placed high
in the cathedral steeple and the guard soon saw a
contingent of enemy troops coming towards Mdina
and gave the alarm. The soldiers inside Mdina had
enough food though they had to take care of the
water as they did not have much.
The famous Muslim consair Dragut
When the Muslims arrived in front of Mdina they
stayed there for some time but did not attack the city.
On 21 July they just left but nobody could explain
why. The Muslim troops then crossed over to Gozo
and attacked the Cittadella. Even though this had a
defensive wall it was not well defended and the enemy
captured the town and killed many Gozitans or took
them into slavery.
One of the knights that helped in the defence of Mdina
was the Knight Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon who
was the nephew of the first Grandmaster of Malta,
Philippe de L’Isle Adam. The main street in Mdina is
named after him.
wrote about the attack of 1551 on Mdina. He said
that a nun from the Benedictine Monastery of Mdina
had a vision in which she was told that Mdina would
soon be attacked by the enemy. However, if the marble
statue of St Agatha, which had been in a church in
Rabat, was placed on the walls of Mdina and Holy
Mass was celebrated, then the city would be saved
from the hands of the attackers. The commander of
Mdina believed the nun and ordered that the statue
of St Agatha should be taken around the walls of
the city and all the population was to accompany it
in procession. This would make the enemy think that
Mdina was ready for the fight.
The historian Giacomo Bosio by the artist El Greco
It is not known why the enemy simply went away
without a fight, but it was believed that it could have
been because of the intervention of St Agatha. To
remember this happening, every year, on the nearest
Sunday to St Agatha’s feast day (5th February), a
procession is held from the Mdina Cathedral to the
nearby town of Rabat.
A statue of St Agatha which is found near
St Agatha’s catacombs in Rabat

Find the names R A N D R E A D O R I A R I A

of these N G B A B H G E U R G E R G E
personages G I A C O M O B O S I O S I O
C O I L P U B L I U S O U S O
P M B X C T U R G U T R E I S
M A G A T H A O I E S E E S E
| GIORGIO ADORNO
| ANDREA DORIA J R G I O R G I O A D O R N O
| SINAN PASHA P Y H N K C V B M N O H N O H
| GIACOMO BOSIO
O S I N A N P A S H A Z U E Z
The corsair Sinan Pasha The Knight Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon | TURGUT REIS
who helped in the defence of Mdina

26 27
 A medieval
house
Today, there are very few buildings in Mdina that are
from medieval times. One very old palace that can
still be visited is called Palazzo Falson. Many also call
it the ‘Norman House’ as some of the features that
are included in this palace are similar to the style of
architecture built by the Normans in Sicily. The house
was originally built around the first half of the 13th
century (1200s). Before it was built there was another
building which had been known as La Rocca (which
means the fortress or the castle).
Up to the 1400s the house consisted of only the
ground floor. At this time the first floor was added
and the doors that we see today were also included in
the façade that faces on Villegaignon Street. Before,
the façade of the house was on another side of the
building.
In 1530 the building was restructured so that the first
grandmaster of the Order of St John in Malta could
stay there when he came to Mdina to take possession
of the city.
Palazzo Falson
28
The Falsone coat of arms
The Falsone family
This famous family de Falsone lived in the palazzo
from the 1500s. Ambrosio de Falsone was the Captain
of the Rod (Capitano della Verga) of the Town Council
(Universitas). After Ambrosio’s death the palazzo
passed on to his cousin Michele Falsone who was a
vice-admiral and also served as Capitano della Verga. A Historic House Museum
The last Falsone who lived in the palazzo was Matteo. In the 20th century the palazzo belonged to Olaf
He served as Capitano dell Verga for several times but Frederick Gollcher. He was an artist, scholar,
later on he was accused by the Inquisition that he had philanthropist, and a collector of historical items and
changed his religion to Lutheranism. Matteo had to other objects of art. In 2001 Fondazzjoni Patrimonju
Members of the nobility of the fifteenth century Malti (Maltese Heritage Foundation) took the house
run away from Malta in 1574 and his properties were
taken by the Inquisitor. Palazzo Falsone was one of the and turned it into the Palazzo Falson Historic House
possession taken and it then passed to the Cumbo- Museum which opened to the public on 4th May 2007.
Navarra family and their descendants.
Copy the picture of the medieval
window following the boxes
A street scene with medieval buildings in Mdina by the artist
Michele Bellanti
29
The Grandmaster
enters in Mdina
When a new grandmaster
was chosen he always went to
Mdina to take control of the city
(possesso). This was done during
a big ceremony. The governor
of Mdina and the jurats of the
Universitas went to meet the
grandmaster and presented to
him the silver keys of the city to
show him that Mdina was loyal
to him. It was presented by a
member of the noble family of
Inguanez. The first Grandmaster
of Malta, Fra Philippe de Villiers de
L’Isle Adam (1464–1534) made
his solemn entry into Mdina on 13
November 1530.
The triumphal arch under
which Grandmaster Vilhena
walked when he entered
Mdina for the first time
The fortified city
A medal of Grandmaster de Rohan
commemorating his entry into Mdina The defensive walls that were built during the
time of the Order of St John are called gunpowder
fortifications. These include bastions (angled walls)
and curtain walls (straight walls). Many parts of these
walls replaced the medieval defences which were
demolished in the process.
House of the
Navarra The medieval fortifications had round towers which
Family The main gate of Mdina – the old entrance is seen on the right –
it is today blocked
were taken down and replaced by bastions. Mdina,
Banca however, still has parts of the medieval walls. These
Giuratale
Fortifications include a piece of the inside wall, part of it can be
of Mdina seen close to Greek’s Gate, and another stretch which
is found on the innermost side of the city. Part of a
round tower facing Mtarfa is also still visible.
A city plan showing the route which the grandmasters took
to arrive at the Mdina cathedral

With time decorations became more impressive when a

triumphal arch was also constructed just for the occasion.
In the 18th century (1700s) this wooden arch was put up
between the Banca Giuratale and a house that belonged
to the noble family of Navarra. Today this house does
not exist anymore as it has been pulled down and so the A medal showing Grandmaster Pinto receiving the keys of Mdina
square is larger. At that time the grandmaster passed
under the arch and along the narrow street between the
two buildings and continued towards the Cathedral.
Match the grandmaster The Mdina landfront in medieval times

with his nationality

Philipe Villiers de L’Isle Adam | | Auvergne

Jean Parisot de Valette | | Germany

Jean l’Eveque de la Cassiere | | Provence

Martin de Redin | | France

Gregorio Carafa | | Portugal

Antoine Manoel de Vilhena | | Aragon

Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc | | Italy

Ferdinand von Hompesch | | France

Grandmaster L’Isle Adam entering Mdina for the first time, in a
painting by Antoine Favray De Redin Bastion

30 31

The Great Siege of 1565
As the Order had been hearing about the intention of
the Ottoman Sultan to attack Malta from years before,
the Knights had started in 1559 a project of works
to strengthen the Mdina walls. By 1564 Mdina had
reshaped and rebuilt bastions which could withstand
cannon balls.
In May 1565 a great Turkish fleet arrived in Malta.
The Ottoman armada had the intention of capturing
Malta and defeating the Order of St John as it had
done in the island of Rhodes in 1522. Though there
may have been some intention to attack Mdina first,
the final decision was taken to attack Fort St Elmo.
This meant that Mdina was saved from a siege and
the troops stationed there could help Grandmaster de
Valette and the other troops who were defending the
fortifications around the Grand Harbour.
During the four months of the siege, the population of
the city increased by many thousands as the villagers
from the surrounding area came to shelter within its
walls. Also soldiers were sent to strengthen its defences.
Mdina had a contingent of cavalry which used to go
out of the city every day and attack any Turkish troops
it could find. On one occasion the commander of the
cavalry, Vincenzo Anastagi, attacked the Ottoman
field hospital which was unprotected and killed the
sick and the wounded. This made the Turks think that
troops from Sicily had come to help the Knights.
Malta under attack by the Turkish forces
32
When Mdina was
to become a small fort
After the Great Siege the Order took another
look at Mdina and thought that it could reduce
it from a citadel to a fort. For this reason the
Maltese architect Giloramo Cassar was asked to
reduce the size of the city to about half what it
is today. The noble families that lived in Mdina
objected to this project and the plan was never
carried out.
Armour worn by the soldiers defending
Malta against the Ottaman army
Plans to make Mdina a small fort
Imagine you are a cavalry soldier stationed
in Mdina. Write about your attacks on the
Turkish troops during the Great Siege.
A contingent of Ottoman soldiers
The first help from Sicily which was a small force of
about 600 men, known as Piccolo Soccorso, arrived in
Malta in early July. They landed in Ġnejna Bay and
marched to Mdina and then continued to Birgu.
Another group of soldiers managed to land in Malta
in the first week of September. The Gran Soccorso,
as it was known, brought about 8000 men who were
landed in the bays of Għajn Tuffieħa and Mellieħa. The
Turkish commander, Mustafa Pasha, thinking that the
landed troops amounted to around 16,000, decided
to call off the siege and embark on his ships. When he
realised that the number was much less, he ordered
the Turkish soldiers to disembark again. Here the Gran
Soccorso came forth from Mdina and attacked the
enemy in the area of Mosta and St Paul’s Bay and
defeated the Turks, killing many of them while the rest
embarked on their ships and sailed away. Three scenes showing the arrival of the Gran Soccorso
33
 St Benedict and St Scholastica
Cloistered nuns in Mdina
St Benedict is considered to be the
founder of Western monasticism
In Mdina one finds St Peter’s Monastery where the Benedictine nuns live and pray. They (monasteries and convents). He was
are a cloistered Order. This means that the nuns do not go outside of the monastery born in Nursia, Italy, and was the brother
(clausura) most of their lives. of St Scholastica who is considered as
the foundress of the women’s branch
In 1418 there was a hospital in Mdina dedicated to St Peter which took care of poor people of Benedictine monasticism. They lived
and the pilgrims. Later on this building became a monastery for the Benedictine nuns between the fifth (400s) and sixth (500s)
around the year 1455. The building was enlarged in 1625, during the time when the Order centuries.
of St John ruled Malta.
St Benedict organised monks in a single
In the nineteenth century, the nuns received the relics of a person who had been buried community and wrote a Rule (a set of
in the Catacombs of St Cyriaca in Rome. Though no one knew the name of this dead regulations) which became famous.
person, the bones belonged to an Early Christian who had died a martyr in the Roman Those monks and nuns that follow this
persecutions. Therefore, it was considered to be a saint. The name given to the Rule live a simple and rather strict life
skeleton in St Peter’s Monastery is that of St Felicissima. The relic was brought in in prayer, study and work. They live
1833. Many parish churches in Malta and Gozo have similar relics called corpi santi together in a community with one
A Benedictine nun
or ‘holy corpses’. Some others are: superior. The Rule stresses obedience,
< St Clement in Rabat, Gozo < St Innocent in Mqabba, Malta < St Fortunato in Xagħra, Gozo enthusiasm and a constant way of life.
< St Pacifico in Mosta, Malta < St Felicius in Żabbar, Malta < St Celestino in Qrendi, Malta Their life is concentrated on the Devine
Office which is a set of prayers praising
A saintly abbess of the Benedictine nuns the hours of the day. St Benedict

Among the nuns who have lived in St Peter’s
Monastery, one is Maria Adeodata Pisani. This nun
was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
Her original name was Maria Teresa Pisani and she
was born in 1806 in Naples, Italy. Her father was
Baron Benedetto Pisani Mompalao Cuzkeri and was
a rich nobleman. During uprisings against the King
of Naples, Maria’s father joined the rioters and was
caught. Though he was condemned to death King St Scholastica
Ferdinand II of Naples stopped the execution and
sent Baron Benedetto to Malta because he was a
British citizen. In 1825 Maria and her mother came to From which monastic order is each friar
Malta and settled in Rabat. Franciscan friar < Dominican friar < Carmelite friar
When Maria was 21 years old she decided to join the
Benedictine nuns in Mdina and took the name of
Maria Adeodata (the name means ‘given to God’). In
the monastery she did all the work that was necessary.
She did much charity that helped both her fellow nuns
and the people outside the nunnery.

Maria Adeodata was

abbess of the monastery
between 1851 and
1853. As she was sick
she died some time later
at the age of 48, on 25
February 1855, and was
buried in the crypt of the
Benedictine Monastery
of Mdina.

A B C

St Peter’s Benedictine Monastery The Blessed Adeodata Pisani

34 35
 An earthquake Earthquakes that hit Mdina

Besides the earthquake of 1693 which

hits Mdina
caused great damage to Mdina, the
city was hit by other earthquakes
along these last three hundred years.

On 20 February 1743 a strong tremor

It was on 9 January 1693 that in many parts of hit the Maltese islands at 5.30pm.
Malta people felt tremors that were a result of an Besides St John’s conventual
earthquake, 5.9 in strength or magnitude, that had hit church (the church of the Order),
Eastern Sicily. At this time no one was hurt or died and the Cathedral of Mdina and other
Mdina in the sixteenth
buildings did not suffer damages. churches were damaged. The small century before it was hit by
dome of the Cathedral collapsed the earthquake
Then, on 11 January another earthquake hit southern and fell into the church. The belfries
Italy, parts of Sicily and Malta. It measured 7.4 were heavily damaged and cracks Complete the picture
in strength and had a maximum intensity of XI appeared in all the walls of the An earthquake has destroyed part of Palazzo Santa Sofia.
(extreme). It was so strong that it destroyed many cathedral. Everyone was afraid to Try to build it again by drawing in the missing parts.
towns and villages in Italy and killed about 60,000 enter the Cathedral and six architects
people. At around 1.30 pm the Maltese in all of the were called to study the damage and
island also felt the strong tremors. Panic struck the suggest ways how to repair it.
population and many inhabitants spent a number of
nights in the open in tents or in underground shelters. On 12 October 1856 another
In this earthquake there were no reported deaths. strong earthquake took place which
damaged many of the houses in
Extensive damage to buildings and churches was Valletta as also those in other villages
reported in Valletta, lesser damage was seen in the in Malta and Gozo. The houses
Three Cities – Birgu, Isla and Bormla – and some suffered most in their upper floors.
damage was also evident in Gozo. The churches had damages in their
domes and walls. One of the domes
Mdina suffered serious damage. Parts of the Cathedral which suffered in this earthquake was
collapsed. The Town Hall, many bastions and the Grandmaster de Vilhena that of the Mdina Cathedral which
bridge by which one entered Mdina had all suffered collapsed into the church. The belfry
damages. Many buildings in the city were hit as they Some earthquakes that were felt in Malta of the Carmelite Church of Mdina
were quite old and had not been taken care of enough. along history was also hit and had to be rebuilt.
Year Month Day Time Epicentre
With parts of Mdina damaged or destroyed The next strong earth tremor that
1542 Dec 10 3.15pm East Sicily
Grandmaster de Vilhena took the opportunity to affected Mdina took place on 27
rebuild and redesign the city in the baroque style. 1562 Mar 8 am Sicily Channel? August 1886. The shaking of the
1636 Sep 1 ? Sicily Channel? earth was felt during a whole week
1693 Jan 11 1.30pm East Sicily and the Maltese were quite afraid.
This created a general panic and the
1743 Feb 20 4.30pm Ionic Sea
people would run into the streets as
1789 Jan 19 am Sicily Channel? soon as they felt a tremor. In Valletta
Sicily 1793 Feb 26 am Sicily Channel? many houses, the courthouse, and
1848 Jan 11 noon East Sicily the Co-Cathedral of St John reported
damages. In Mdina, besides the
1856 Oct 12 00.45am Crete
cathedral, some of the other churches
1861 Feb 8 11.45pm Sicily Channel? also suffered damages. Another
1886 Aug 15 2.45am Sicily Channel? building that was severely damaged
1886 Aug 27 10.00pm Aegean Sea was the hospital which was in Vilhena
Palace.
1911 Sep 30 9.25am Sicily Channel?
1923 Sep 18 7.30am Sicily Channel
Malta 1926 Jun 26 7.46pm Aegean Sea
The epicentre of the 1693 earthquake which hit Malta 1972 Mar 21 11.06pm Sicily Channel

36 37
 The first Maltese bishop The bishop begins to live in Malta

The Cathedral of Malta During the period of the Order of St John, Baldassare
Cagliares (1614-1633) was the only Bishop of Malta
Up until 1538 the bishops of Malta lived in other
countries and rarely if ever visited their diocese of
that had been born in Malta. However, all the bishops Malta. They used to say that they were afraid for their
from 1807 have been Maltese. From the British period life because Malta was not safe enough. With the
the Cathedral Chapter took part in ceremonies in the coming of the Order of St John, Malta became safer
Cathedral of Mdina and in St John’s Co-Cathedral in and bishops could not bring this excuse anymore. The
Though it may be that a Valletta. first bishop to stay in his diocese of Malta was Tommaso
cathedral had been built Bosio (1538-1539). He was consecrated by Pope Paul
The able Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà
around the 6th century AD III and at once began to organise his diocese. He did
we do not know how this not live long as he
may have looked. In the died in 1539; however,
year 598 the bishop of during this short time
Malta was called Lucillus. he had shown that he
He was later replaced by was wise and pious.
a monk named Traianus. Mgr Bosio was buried
The bishops of Malta in the crypt of the
usually stayed in Sicily. Mdina Cathedral.
If this building did exist,
it is very probable that
Bishop Michele Giovanni Molina it was destroyed by the
Aghlabid Arabs when
they conquered Malta in 870. There are some writings
How the medieval Romanesque cathedral may have looked
that say that the commander of the Arabs took with
him parts of the ‘church’ of Malta and built with them Bishop Baldassare Cagliares Bishop Tommaso Bosio
his palace in Tunisia.
Match the coat-of-arms with each of the latest four Archbishops of Malta.
We then read in the historical documents about
a cathedral once again in the year 1299. It was
dedicated to St Paul. Its architectural style was possibly
Romanesque. In the early 15th century the cathedral
was enlarged and made more beautiful. Various works
and extensions were carried out.

By the seventeenth century it had become quite

old and had much damage. The Cathedral Chapter, A painting found at the Grandmaster’s Palace in Valletta
encouraged by Bishop Michele Giovanni Molina (1678- showing the Mdina cathedral
1682), first thought of building a new cathedral in the
year 1679. When the great earthquake of 1693 struck
1 2 3 4
Mdina, the Cathedral suffered extensive damage and
thus had to be rebuilt. A B C D

The present Cathedral Church was designed by the

Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà and built between the
years 1679 and 1706. Its door, made from chestnut
wood, was designed by the Italian artist Mattia Preti
who also painted the altar-piece representing the
Conversion of St Paul.

The Mdina Cathedral is the seat of the archbishop of

the Maltese diocese. This Cathedral bears the title of
‘Metropolitan’ since 1994 when the bishop of Malta
was raised to the dignity of metropolitan archbishop
and head of the ecclesiastical province of Malta and Mgr Mikiel Gonzi Mgr Ġużeppi Mercieca Mgr Pawlu Cremona Mgr Charles J. Scicluna
1944 - 1976 1976 - 2006 2007 - 2014 2015 -
Gozo.
The Mdina cathedral after it was rebuilt

38 39
 As part of the palace block de Mondion also designed the Corte
Capitanale, that is, the law courts. The beautiful stone statues on
the façade consist of a blindfolded female representing ‘Justice’ and
a male representing ‘Mercy’.

The Grandmaster gave the Universitas a new Baroque building from

where to govern. This is the Banca Giuratale also designed by de
Mondion. The main entrance was decorated with beautiful stone
carvings of garlands, war trophies and armoury. On the piano nobile
(the first floor), there is an open balcony with fine wrought iron work
from where the officials of the local government could follow the
ceremonial festivals and processions that passed along Villegaigon Baroque trophies on the main entrance to Mdina
Street, which was known at the time as Strada Reale.

The main entrance had to be moved and a new one built. This city
gate has trophies, lions and other architectural decorations reflecting
the baroque style.

A Grandmaster with a vision

Antonio Manoel de Vilhena became Grandmaster of the Order in
1722. He lived in baroque times. This Portuguese grandmaster was
quite involved in the lives of the Maltese. He set up a number of
charitable institutions to help the people in their suffering. To help
the people find houses close to Valletta he laid the plans for the
suburb of Floriana. He built Fort Manoel and the Manoel Theatre.

When he died in 1736, he was buried in the Conventual Church of St

John (now the Co-Cathedral of St John) in Valletta and his tomb is
one of the most splendid in this church.
A painting of Grandmaster de Vilhena
accompanied by his pages

Mdina turns Baroque To what style of architecture does each building belong?
Neo-Gothic Medieval Military Baroque
1 2 3 4
The bust of Grandmaster de Vilhena in a baroque setting
A B C D
Up till the earthquake of 1693 Mdina was very much a
medieval city. Much of its architecture had been only slightly
changed from when the Order arrived in Malta in 1530. After
the earthquake had done its damage and many parts of the
city had been affected including the cathedral, new buildings
needed to be constructed to replace the older ones. The
Cathedral Chapter took care to build a new cathedral while the
Grandmaster thought of building a new Mdina.

It was Grandmaster Fra Antonio de Vilhena that first decided to

give the medieval city a new image. He wanted to change the A variety of costumes for all social classes in a painting
old, slow moving Mdina into a lively, modern baroque city. by Antoine Favray

One area which the Grandmaster and his architect, Charles Francois de Mondion, concentrated upon was the
main entrance to the city. This meant that the buildings there, including the main gate, were to be rebuilt.
In 1726, de Mondion designed the Magistral Palace on the Parisian Baroque style. This building replaced the
Minicipium or Town Hall where the Univeristas used to meet. That building had been built around 1454. Palazzo Santa Sophia Bastions Old Seminary Casa Gourgion

40 41
 The National Assembly of the
Maltese is set up
The Maltese besiege Mdina Soon after Mdina was won back by
the Maltese, a National Assembly
In June of 1798 a French fleet sailed towards Malta and invaded was set up to continue the uprising
the island. The Order of St John did not offer a strong opposition and provide leaders for the people.
and after the French forces, commanded by General Napoleon The meeting to set up the Assemblea
Bonaparte, invaded the Maltese islands at different places, Nazionale was held in Mdina in the
Grandmaster von Hompesch surrendered. In the French invasion, Banca Giuratale. As Commandant
Mdina fell to the troops under General Vaubois. of the Maltese fighting forces was
chosen Notary Emmanuele Vitale.
In the months following the takeover, the French administration The four deputies that formed the
angered the population especially as it took much of the property administration were Count Salvatore
of the people and looted its churches. It was on 2 September Manduca, Marquis Vincenzo DePiro,
1798 that the Maltese finally decided that the unsatisfactory Count Ferdinando Theuma Castelletti
situation could not continue. When the French tried to sell church and Notary Emmanuele Vitale. Some
The Banca Giuratale where the Maltese
articles in Mdina and Rabat by auction to raise money for the of the important meetings of the representatives used to meet during the
government, many Maltese from the surrounding villages went to The leader of the Maltese, Notary National Assembly were held in Mdina. uprising
Emmanuele Vitale, represented on
Mdina to stop this activity and started an uprising. On the same The prisons of the city also served to
a stamp of 2002
day the commander of Mdina, Captain Masson, accompanied by lock up persons who were considered
a lieutenant, tried to control the angry crowd and shouted insults dangerous if left free. Political prisoners
at them. So the people ran after him and when he went inside were also kept in prisons in the city.
the house of Notary Bezzina, they followed the French officer
and threw him out of the upstairs window and he died. While
the lieutenant ran to Valletta to tell his commanders what was
happening, the Maltese continued to seek the French soldiers in
Mdina. Though the gates of the city were closed by the French
garrison the Maltese knew Mdina well and they entered through
a small entrance (called a sally port) and caught the soldiers from
behind. A small battle took place and the French were killed. Some
Maltese also died in this fighting.

The ringing of church bells announced the Maltese uprising to

the people in the countryside. Mdina was finally captured by the
Maltese forces on 3 September and the Maltese flag was raised on
the walls. The Maltese attacking Mdina – scaling the walls to enter the city from A plaque commemorating those Maltese who died in the
behind (see the arrow) first days of the Maltese uprising

As the fighting continued, the Maltese were helped by the

Neapolitians, Portuguese and British during their fight against the Put in the correct name
French which took two years, until in September 1800 the French
surrendered. It was Grandmaster who lost Malta to the French.

The troops of General captured Mdina in June 1798.

The French commander who won Malta from the Order was .

The Commander of the Maltese troops against the French was .

The National Assembly was set up in a meeting in the .

The Maltese killed the Commandant of Mdina, Captain , by throwing him out of a
balcony.

Different uniforms Napoleon Bonaparte | Masson | Vaubois | Banca Giuratale | Emmanuele Vitale | Hompesch
worn by the Frnech Napoleon Bonaparte arriving in Malta in June 1798
forces in Malta
42 43
 A palace turned into a hospital
Epidemics The first time when Vilhena Palace was used as a

and hospitals
temporary hospital was during the cholera epidemic of
1837. It was under the charge of Dr Tommaso Chetcuti.

In 1858 the British forces took the palace and turned

The plague epidemic of 1813
The Maltese islands had, since early times, suffered
from different epidemics such as the plague. The last
great attack of the plague had hit Malta in 1676.
After that year, the next time that this disease visited
the Maltese population was in 1813. At this time
Malta was under British domination. The first signs
of the plague appeared in March of 1813 when some
sailors were taken ill and put at the lazaretto. By April
the plague appeared among the Valletta population
and by May of that year it had reached Mdina and the
neighbouring town of Rabat. A hospital was set up in
the convent of the friars of St Dominic in Rabat and
one of the monks, Fr Rosario Bugeja, was elected to
remain there and take care of the sick while the other
monks took refuge in the seminary in Mdina. The
Municipality of Mdina appointed Fr Bugeja to be the
superintendent of this hospital and he got sick with
the plague but managed to recover and did not die.
We know that four patients were taken to this hospital
and two of them died.
it into a hospital for the cure of eye diseases. Then
in 1860 it began to be used as a place where British
troops rested and got back their health after an illness.
At the beginning of the 20th century the palace was
given to the Civil Government of Malta and in 1908
it became a hospital for patients that suffered from
tuberculosis which is a disease that can be passed from
one person to another. The hospital was inaugurated
by King Edward VII and was named after his brother
the Duke of Connaught. It was known as Connaught
Hospital and it continued to receive patients till 1956
when it was closed down.
A plague scene
King Edward VII

The Capuchins too took care of the sick. They manned

a number of hospitals, one of which was in Mdina.
When the epidemic finally died out it was found that A priest serving the sick hit by the plague, a painting by Pietro
from Mdina and Rabat there had been 44 victims. Paolo Caruana

The cholera epidemic of 1837 Vilhena Palace which was used as a hospital for many years –
it is now the Museum of Natural History The Duke of Connaught
Cholera came to Malta in the19th century (1800s). The first strong
attack happened during the year 1837 but in September 1836
Imagine you were living during the
Dr Tommaso Chetcuti had already found a patient with cholera
plague of 1813. Write down your
in Mdina. When the disease was finally confirmed to be cholera,
feelings in that situation.
hospitals were set up in different towns around Malta. In Mdina the
hospital was organised in Vilhena Palace.

This cholera epidemic struck several villages in Malta and many

people fled to Gozo to run away from the danger. However, these
people carried the disease with them to that island too and so Gozo
was also affected. The epidemic came to a peak around the middle
of July and disappeared in the early days of October 1837. When
all was over the victims amounted to 3,893 deaths in Malta and
359 deaths in Gozo.

The medical doctor Tommaso Chetcuti

44 45
 Give your suggestions how Mdina can remain a tourist attraction without
The not so silent city becoming an empty city.

Mdina has been called ‘the silent city’ as for many

decades it was a place where the Maltese nobility
lived but not many people visited it. The medieval
atmosphere was still felt around the streets of the city
even though it had become a baroque jewel.

In the 20th century (1900s) and especially after World

War Two, Mdina was rediscovered by many, and the
more so when the tourism industry in Malta began The M
e
Festiv dieval Md
to take shape. Through the 1960s and the 1970s touris
al an
d ina
Malta started to concentrate on tourism as one of ts vis the many
ing th
e city
its important industries. This activity brought money
from abroad and caused more hotels, restaurants and
other tourist-related services to increase.

One of the most important places which were

discovered by the majority of tourists was Mdina.
Large numbers began to visit the city every year and
the more they came the less Mdina remained the
silent city.

The residents of the city had to learn to live with large

groups of tourists going round the narrow streets of
Mdina, visiting places and taking photographs. More
restaurants, souvenir shops, museums and tourist
attractions opened within the walls of Mdina. Tourism
became the main activity all year round and this
caused many residents to leave and go to live in other The Torre dello Stendardo used as a Tourist Information Office
towns. Today the population of Mdina is less than 300
persons.

Details from Mdina

The population of Mdina from 1957 to 2010

1957 1967 1985 1995 2010
Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Total Males Females Total
331 492 823 414 574 988 187 222 409 165 212 377 111 142 253

46 47
 48
Page 5 Page 23
The Phoenicians came from the lands St Rita – patron saint of impossible
which today are part of Lebanon. cases
Famous cities of the time were Byblos, St Francis of Assisi – patron saint of
Tyre and Sidon. These people were all animals
traders and able seamen. Their ships St Christopher – patron saint of
were made from the famous Lebanese travellers and of children
cedar trees as this wood was perfect St Cecilia – patron saint of music
for strong seagoing ships. Phoenician St Martha – patron saint of servants
traders transported and exchanged and cooks
goods such as cloth, pottery and wine.
Their cloth was famous for its purple Page 21
colour which was extracted from the
shell of a sea snail called Murex. R A N D R E A D O R I A R I A
N G B A B H G E U R G E R G E
One of the greatest contributions of
the Phoenicians was the development G I A C O M O B O S I O S I O
of a phonetic alphabet which helped
to create the Greek alphabet and C O I L P U B L I U S O U S O
Greek literature.
P M B X C T U R G U T R E I S
Page 7 M A G A T H A O I E S E E S E
JUPITER – God of the sky, weather
and air and also of law, order, justice, J R G I O R G I O A D O R N O
and government.
P Y H N K C V B M N O H N O H
JUNO – Queen of the gods. Goddess
of marriage and women. Protector O S I N A N P A S H A Z U E Z
and counsellor of Rome.
MARS – God of war, spring and
justice.
VENUS – Goddess of love. Page 30 Page 43
MIREVA – Goddess of wisdom, useful Jean Parisot de Valette – Provence It was Grandmaster Hompesch who
arts and crafts. Jean l’Eveque de la Cassiere – lost Malta to the French.
VESTA – Goddess of the home and Auvergne
patron of Rome. Martin de Redin – Aragon The troops of General Vaubois
APOLLO – God of poetry, music, and Gregorio Carafa – Italy captured Mdina in June 1798.
oracles, Antoine Manoel de Vilhena – Portugal
Emmanuel Marie de Rohan-Polduc – The French commander who won
Page 9 France Malta from the Order was Napoleon
Ferdinand von Hompesch – Germany Bonaparte.
P U B L I U S L O P
A A J K L I P G H M Page 35 The Commander of the Maltese
U G A F T E R I O A A Carmelite friar troops against the French was
L A B T T R H U I R B Dominican friar Emmanuele Vitale.
C Franciscan friar
G T F G H J M T E Y
The National Assembly was set up in
A H O P G E O R G E Page 39 a meeting in the Banca Giuratale.
C A B N J O P D R T 2A|1B|4C|3D
The Maltese killed the Commandant
of Mdina, Captain Masson, by
Page 22 Page 41 throwing him out of a balcony.
Catania / Molise / San Marino / Malta 2A|3B|4C|1D