Heritage Malta has announced that St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat have been awarded the prestigious European Heritage Label, making them the first site in Malta to receive this recognition.

The label forms part of the European Commission’s European Commission Creative Europe framework and is granted to sites that have played a significant role in shaping Europe’s history, culture and development. This year marks a record edition, with 13 sites selected by independent experts for both their historical importance and their commitment to engaging younger generations.

St Paul’s Catacombs were shortlisted in March last year from proposals submitted by 15 participating EU countries. Now, they officially join a network of landmark sites that help tell the story of Europe’s shared human journey.

Dating back to Punic, Roman and Byzantine times, the Catacombs represent the largest burial complex from the classical period in Malta. Within the same cemetery, Jewish, Polytheistic and Christian burials coexist, offering some of the earliest tangible evidence in Europe of religious diversity, coexistence and freedom of belief. Symbols, inscriptions and architectural features found on site also reflect wider European values, including equality, human dignity, trade and the spread of knowledge. The complex further documents the Christianisation of Europe and the traditions that followed.

As part of the award process, Heritage Malta presented a forward-looking project aimed at strengthening the site’s educational and cultural impact. Plans include a reconfigured visitor centre, updated exhibition spaces, a new interpretation pavilion, a dedicated excavation pit for youth-focused activities, and enhanced audio guides available in more European languages.

Among the other sites awarded the European Heritage Label this year are Provadia-Solnitsata in Bulgaria – Europe’s earliest known salt production centre and prehistoric urban settlement; the Lapedo Child burial in Portugal, one of Europe’s rare Palaeolithic child graves; and the Styrian Armoury in Austria, the world’s largest preserved historical armoury.

Have you ever visited the catacombs?