Mdina

St.Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral

A Cathedral on this spot, (according to tradition on the site of the house of Publius the first Bishop), was for about 300 years the only large church on the island. There was certainly a cathedral church built here by 1299. The building, erected during the Norman period, suffered considerable damage in the earthquake of lst January 1693. Rebuilt by Lorenzo Gafa, the present building was dedicated on the 8th October 1702. Inside, the floor consists of marble-inlaid tombstones which carry the coats of arms and inscriptions of bishops and other members of the Cathedral chapter. In the choir behind the main altar is Mattia Preti's monumental painting of the Conversion of St.Paul. It was in the original Norman church, and survived the earthquake. From the old Cathedral there is also a bell and the door (originally an outside one), leading into the sacristy. In the museum nearby one can also find the titular of the old cathedral.

Annunciation (Our Lady of Carmel) Della Rocca - tal-Blat

A church dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady was already in existence at this site in 1575. For some time it housed a communal school within it. During the 1650's, its site was granted to the Carmelite Friars by Bishop Belaguer on which to build part of their new priory and church, and the Nativity of Our Lady, was substituted by a side chapel in this new church. Francesco Sammut designed the church built in 1659. The interior has seven altars and it is unexpectedly rich despite the French army's looting to fund Napoleon's wars in 1798. It served as parish church during the rebuilding of the Cathedral after the earthquake. This church also has a museum with an Oratory in it.

Annunciation

There is a chapel in the old Seminary (Now the Cathedral Museum) built in 1744. In the 18th century, the building used to be the residence of the Bishop and the Chapel stood in the garden of the property. Its titular picture by Favray is kept in the same museum. In 2017 it was found that the false dome painted over in white by British troops still had the original painting beneath. This was restored in time for the museum’s 50th anniversary.

Assumption

Bishop Domenico Cubelles, during his episcopate, disallowed all public worship in this small church which stood in front of the Cathedral Church's entrance. Its burthens in 1575 were transferred to St Scolastica Monastery.

Assumption Ta' Donna Manna

The Falzon family had endowed this church with an ecclesiastical living. Its founder was Agata de Falzon and this was registered in the records of Notary Luca Sillato on the 23rd February 1466. In 1634 this church was formally closed down and its site incorporated into a square adjacent to the new sacristy of the Cathedral built in 1626. This same site was later included behind the Annunciation altar in the building of the baroque Cathedral.

Chapel 

This chapel and the Palazzo Feriol that contains it used to belong to  Mons Apap Bologna. He had artist Raphael Bonnici Cali attach two diamond ear rings belonging to his mother to the titular picture of Our Lady in the chapel.

Deposition of Christ

This was a chapel in the prisons of the old court still existing in 1780. By 1866 it was already out of use and deconsecrated according to A Ferres. 

Holy Cross


The private chapel at Palazzo Del Prelato was dedicated in the 17th century by inquisitor Fabio Chigi as his own private chapel in Mdina. Chigi was elected Pope Alexander VII in 1655. The chapel is dedicated to the Holy Cross and has a piece of the true cross which belonged to his family in Siena.

Nativity of Our Lady Sta Maria de Porta

This church of the Nativity of our Lady is mentioned by Mons.Dusina standing near the old entrance of Mdina. Mass was celebrated here occasionally for the benefit of nearby workers. The inquisitor closed it, considering it too small and uncomfortable. It existed till 1725. When Grand Master Antoine Manoel de Vilhena built the Magisterial Palace of Mdina, this church was demolished and rebuilt on a site previously occupied by a church dedicated to the Holy Cross.

Our Lady of Itria

The earliest reference to a church dedicated to the Hodigitria in Malta, traced so far, goes back to 1551. An old church dedicated to her stood near the Greeks' Gate at Mdina. Its location here may indicate a relationship between her cult and the Greek community, which could have existed close to the old city.

Our Lady of Monserrat

The Inguanez chapel of this dedication adjacent to the old cathedral in 1629 was being used as a storeroom for the furnishings and equipment used during the Holy Week. It was canonically deconsecrated in 1634 and Antonio Galea Feriol provided for a new side chapel in the cathedral itself with all its needs, including Mattia Preti's altar piece and the marble decoration.

Our Saviour

The church is first mentioned in 1436 and later records say that the church was completely abandoned, but again in the 16th century we find that the church was well-kept and endowed. At the beginning of the last century the church ceased to exist although parts of it were incorporated in private buildings. The church was not far away from the Cathedral and the name of a street there recalls its existence, also a Statue of Our Saviour in a niche at the corner of the same street.

St.Agatha

The church was first built in 1417 and rebuilt in 1694 by Lorenzo Gafa. It has always been well kept and today belongs to the Seminary. It has been recently restored. 

St.Angelo

This chapel is situated in Palazzo Falson, a 13th Century palace, which was lately restored and opened to the public. 

St.Benedict St.Peter's Monastery

In 1418 the ancient hospital of St.Peter became a Monastery for Benedictine nuns. It was renovated and enlarged in 1625. The chapel received the relics of St.Felicissima in 1833 from the Catacomb of St.Cyriaca in Rome. The altarpiece is the work of Mattia Preti. Nowadays it is also in use as an adoration Chapel. Mother Superior also has a private chapel here.

St.Margaret

Two churches of this same dedication were demolished in 1551 to leave an open space at the back of the Greeks' Gate. 

St.Nicholas Gnien il-Far

The church was already in existence in 1434 and rebuilt in 1685, most probably by Lorenzo Gafa. In 1762 it was in good shape when Mons. B.Rull. visited. Nowadays the church is more or less used as a store for Cathedral furnishings among which is the old Cathedral wooden Cappella Ardente or the old setup for solemn funerals.

St.Peter in Chains

According to a report by Bishop Royas, the church of St.Peter 'ad vincula' was a very old one but was rebuilt in 1580 after Mons. Dusina's visit. It took over 30 years for it to be rebuilt but then it was well kept by those in charge. During WWII it was taken over by refugees from the Grand Harbour area. It was restored in 1956 and provided with a titular picture depicting St.Peter in chains, painted by Caffaro Rore'. Nowadays it is used by various organizations for their meetings. 

St.Roque (commonly known as Our Lady of Light)

An old church of the Holy Cross standing on this spot since 1393 was demolished in 1681 and a church dedicated to St.Roque was built in its place in 1798. A small painting of Our Lady of Light was put in it and soon the church became commonly known by that name. 

Visitation

This church in Via Lunga could have been in existence long before 1575. In 1598, its wooden altar piece, representing Our Lady flanked by St Elizabeth and St Joseph, was considered already very old. Francesca, widow of Angelo Inguanez founded here an ecclesiastical living in 1602. The church was rebuilt several times, the last time being 1720. At present it is kept closed.