The hill where Mdina lies has been fortified since the Bronze Age. In around 1000 BC, the Phoenicians built protective walls around the area, including parts of present-day Rabat, and named it Malet, meaning ‘refuge’—a name later extended to the entire island.

According to tradition, the site of the current Cathedral was once occupied by a palace belonging to the Roman Governor Publius, appointed by Saint Paul as Malta’s first bishop.

January of 1693 brought Malta a significant earthquake, following a massive volcanic eruption by Mount Etna in Sicily. Although no lives were lost, the tremors caused substantial damage across the islands, including the old capital of Malta, thus Grand Master Vilhena launched a major reconstruction effort in Mdina.

Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà was commissioned to design a new cathedral, as well as a magisterial palace that initially housed the Università, which later moved its sessions to the Palazzo Giuratale, also known as ‘Banca Giuratale’ and that now houses part of the National Archives of Malta. During this time, local nobility also began constructing new palaces, giving Mdina the architectural character it retains to this day.

Had you ever heard of the earthquake of 1693?