Mdina and Rabat

Pictures taken in Mdina and Rabat
Mdina This gateway was designed by de Mondion, a prodigious builder for the Order of St. John. This Mdina gate was built a few metres to the left of the original gate in 1724. The building of the new gate was to enlarge the palace, Palazzo Giuratale, damaged in the great eathquake of 1693. The new palace built for Grand Master Vilhena was renamed Palazzo Vilhena Guardian lion The bridge that leads to the gate proper is flanked by two coats-of-arms bearing heraldic shields embossed with the Vilhena lion, raised on stone columns. On the Mdina side of the bridge, two stone Vilhena lions one clutching the Grandmaster's escutcheon and the other holding the shield of the Mdina municipality respectively guard the entrance. Insignia Grandmaster Vilhena insignia Gate from inside the city Statues of St. Paul flanked by St. Publius and St. Agatha occupy the lunette above the arch on the inner side of the gate
Bacchus Narrow Mdina street and a place to get blasted Strange stairs Stairway to nowhere Leave me alone A local resident basking in the sun Family portrait Madonna and Jesus
Door knocker A lion knocker A splash of red A bush against the wall Window Madonna, Jesus and window Mdina panorama Panorama view from Mdina's town wall
Rotunda Rotunda (St. Mary's church in Mosta) seen from Mdina town wall. Miss cuteness A proud cat Patron saint Religion is part of Maltese life Tight squeeze No parking!
Mdina street A narrow street and a room with a view Lion mouth full Keep on knockin' but you can't come in Cathedral The Cathedral, built after the 1693 earthquake. Scary hound Hellhound (or whatever)
Tight corner It's easy to get unwanted guests into your living room, even unwanted cars. Casa Testaferrata Casa Testaferrata was the seat of the old noble family Testaferrata. Historians believe that on the site of this building during the time of the Romans, there was a temple dedicated to Apollo. Banca Giuratale in the back. Door Nice bright doors with hefty pair of knockers. Cat cleaning itself Meeooowwwww
Palazzo Falson Carmelite Church in the back and Palazzo Falson, which 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. The Palazzo consists of a series of rooms wrapped around an internal courtyard, and an overlying piano-nobile which contained the original living quarters. It was originally a one-storey high courtyard house, with the set of rooms at the back of the courtyard forming the oldest part of the building, and dating back to the 13th century. The ground floor, which was used as a store or stables, underwent other modifications in the early modern period. Palazzo Falson also contains a number of features from different subsequent historical periods and styles, in the front. Bells For whom the bells toll... Yea, Jesus and Mary Madonna and Jesus again. Banca Giuratale Banca Giuratale was the seat of the local government. After Grandmaster Vilhena confiscated the original Ministerial Palace for his own use, the Universita (local government) found its new seat in this building. During the revolt against the French, a national assembly came together here. Today the Banca Giuratale in Mdina houses the Court records for the period 1530 up to 1899.
Under cover Under the gate Cute transportation Joe le Taxi Austin Austin, probably 7. St. Paul's St. Paulr's Church in Rabat. The actual Baroque church was created between 1664–1683, based on plans by the architect Lorenzo Gafà, who also designed the Mdina St. Paul's - adding to the confusion.
Statue A statue of somebody, maybe a bishop Catacombs St. Paul's Catacombs Catacombs St. Paul’s Catacombs are some of the most prominent features of Malta’s paleochristian archaeology. The archaeological clearing of the site has revealed an extensive system of underground galleries and tombs dated from the fourth to the ninth centuries AD. Two catacombs are open to the public, but these are only a small part of the entire St. Pauls and St. Agatha’s complex. St. Paul’s catacombs are part of a large cemetery once located outside the walls of the ancient Greek city of Melite, now covered by the smaller Mdina and Rabat. It also comprises the catacombs of Saint Agatha, San Katald, St. Augustine and many others. The cemetery probably originated in the Phoenician-Punic period. Like in Roman tradition, Phoenician and Punic burials were located outside city walls. The many tombs discovered in areas outside the known line of the Roman city suggest that the city of Melite was close to equal size. Catacombs St. Paul’s Catacombs are some of the most prominent features of Malta’s paleochristian archaeology. The archaeological clearing of the site has revealed an extensive system of underground galleries and tombs dated from the fourth to the ninth centuries AD. Two catacombs are open to the public, but these are only a small part of the entire St. Pauls and St. Agatha’s complex. St. Paul’s catacombs are part of a large cemetery once located outside the walls of the ancient Greek city of Melite, now covered by the smaller Mdina and Rabat. It also comprises the catacombs of Saint Agatha, San Katald, St. Augustine and many others. The cemetery probably originated in the Phoenician-Punic period. Like in Roman tradition, Phoenician and Punic burials were located outside city walls. The many tombs discovered in areas outside the known line of the Roman city suggest that the city of Melite was close to equal size.