Vilhena Palace, situated at the entrance to Mdina, was built during the early 18th century according to designs by French architect Charles Francois de Mondion.
Vilhena Palace displays a French Baroque style, in contrast to the predominance of an Italian Baroque architectural aesthetic in Valletta.
Today the Palace houses the National Museum of Natural History and the Mdina Local Council.
Grand Master Martino de Redin initiated an important building phase which entailed the construction of the coastal towers know as the De Redin Towers, and the building of Mdina's defenses in 1658. De Redin paid for various repairs to the citadel and curtain walls, and also started constructing a large central stronghold on the city's land front, which was designed by the Order's engineer Mederico Blondel. However, following the earthquake of 1693, the fortifications of Mdina were radically strengthened. A large bastion, erroneously known as the De Redin Bastion, was built during the reign of Grand Master Ramon Despuig in 1739. This work involved the construction of a hollow stronghold beneath St Paul's Cathedral. This particular bastion exhibits some interesting architectural features, in particular a gate which overlooks Ta' Qali which was formerly used by pedestrians to walk to the centre of Mdina. According to oral tradition, the gate was blocked when the Valletta-Mtarfa train line was closed down. In the mid-1980's the bastion was used for several Maltafest performances by numerous artistic and theatrical groups. Recently, the space acted as a theatre setting for the staging of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot".
The architectural drawing to scale (.pdf) can be downloaded by following this link.
Originally known as Santa Maria della Porta, the chapel of St. Roque was rebuilt and its location changed in 1732 as part of the urban re-planning of Mdina by the French architect Charles Francois de Mondion. The chapel, which is also referred to as Virgin of Light, consists of an octagonal cell with an oval dome. The deep-set chancel has a richly carved reredos which encloses a painting representing the Gologtha scene, and is flanked by two decorative medallions with oval paintings portraying St Paul and St John the Baptist. The chapel does not function for liturgical services anymore but is opened during the cultural events and major festivals held in Mdina.
To view the plan of St. Roque Chapel with indications of artwork positionings click here.
One of the innovate urban planning features introduced in the Baroque period to the Medieval Civitas was the development of public squares. One such space was Archbishop's Square. The transformation of this square occurred under Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena who re-modelled much of Mdina during the 18th century. His vision was materialized by Charles Francois de Mondion, a Parisian architect who is considered to be the mastermind behind the holistic re-structuring of Mdina. The rectangular Archbishop's Square is emphasized by three prominent buildings and the side of the Cathedral, which incorporates a high-level screen that is pierced by a series of semi-circular headed arches. This square also includes the austere Bishop's palace built by Lorenzo Gafà in 1717 and the lavish façade of the Cathedral Museum which reflects the style of Southern French architecture.
For an architectural drawing of Archbishop Square click here.
There are three entrances to Mdina. The main arched gateway, the back entrance and the side door which is called the Porta dei Greci, or Greeks Gate. It is thought that a small Greek community used to live in this part of Mdina, while the slaves were let into the city from this entrance. The building of Greeks Gate, including the formation of the small square which is encountered upon entry, were rebuilt in 1724 to replace the Medieval setting. Once one enters through Greeks Gate, the visitor immediately finds themselves in a small quadrangle area called Piazza dei Greci which connects to a number of bypassing arteries all leading to different parts of the city core. Dominating this square is a mixture of modest houses and larger houses belonging to nobility, particularly Palazzo Ferriol. Worthy of noting are the mural and oil paintings on the upper part of Greeks Gate, one representing the Virgin and Child with St Anne and the Blessed Trinity. The other, which is of greater interest, is a late Mannerist painting which represents the Baptism of St Publius by St Paul accompanied by St Luke.
The site layout may be viewed by clicking here.
The church dedicated to St Peter received a passing mention in Bishop Martino Royas's brief visitation report of 1575, where it was described as 'antiqua'. The present church consists of a nave without aisles, with a ribbed vault,dating from the late sixteenth century. At the East end is a shallow altar recess framed by tall pilasters. On the exterior is a gable formed by a sloping roof, withwaterspouts. On the West façade the gable is defined by a bold cornice, behind which is a rudimentary belfry. Above the doorway is a large, blind circular oculus flanked on either side by two empty squares which were presumably intended to carry armorial shields, or perhaps commemorative inscriptions. In recent years the church suffered from neglect. It was restored shortly after 1956, and was provided with a painting above the altar by Mario Caffaro Rore,dating from 1955.
The architectural drawing to scale of the Church of St Peter in Chains can be seen by following this link.
The Palazzo de Piro is a seventeenth-century palace nestling under the bastion walls of the medieval city of Mdina. The present structure was originally three separate houses, the oldest parts of which date back to the second half of the sixteenth century. The emblem in what is now the main entrance hall indicates that they were built by Malta's most famous architect, Girolamo Cassar, or perhaps his equally renowned son Vittorio. Over the last two centuries, the Palazzo de Piro has been extensively remodelled a number of times. The internal floor levels and a number of openings were altered. The monumental stone and marble staircase was constructed in Victorian times, while in the 1950s extensive structural changes were made to accommodate St Dorothy's school, after the de Piro family had moved out. In 2005 the Palazzo de Piro was acquired by the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter to create a cultural venue.
Plans of the Palazzo can be found by clicking here.
The mid-18th century building that now houses the Cathedral Museum was originally a seminary. From 1858 onwards, the seminary was gradually phased out, and the building took on a
number of different functions, until finally an exhibition of Marian Art held at the premises in 1949 inspired the ecclesiastical authorities to transform it into the Cathedral Museum. On January 4, 1969 the Museum was officially opened by Sir Maurice Dorman and Archbishop Michael Gonzi. All the paintings, silver, ecclesiastical textiles and other artifacts, which were formerly exhibited in the restricted space around the nearby Aula Capitularis inside the Mdina Cathedral, were moved out of the Cathedral to be accommodated in the new museum. This transformation established the Cathedral Museum as one of the leading Maltese cultural institutions. The year 2004 saw the start of an active refurbishment programme. New designs are currently being considered to upgrade the Pinacoteca, while some structural modifications are also being completed, which do not detract from the architectural character of this magnificent building.
The drawing depicting the floor plan of the Cathedral Museum can be seen by following this link.
The Cathedral Museum staircase which leads to the piano nobile is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Malta, and has even been compared with the monumental scale regie seen in eighteenth-century Sicilian palazzi. However, if the staircase is considered a masterpiece, the annexe and the chapel itself form the climax of the whole. Known as the Vestments Hall, this huge space, decorated with a painted frieze, on the left of the piano nobile, leads to a magnificent small octagonal chapel. The lateral exit of this chapel, dedicated to the Annunciation, takes us to the first of three large dormitories which have been transformed into galleries to display paintings and other works of art.
The architectural drawing of the Cathedral Museum Piano Nobile can be seen by following this link.
