The historic St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat have officially become the first Maltese site to be awarded the European Heritage Label.

Dating back to Punic, Roman and Byzantine times, the Catacombs are Malta’s largest burial complex from the classical period. With Jewish, Polytheistic and Christian burials within the same cemetery, the site offers early material evidence of religious coexistence and freedom of belief.

It received the official European Heritage Label plaque during a ceremony in Brussels as an acknowledgement of its symbolic role in the creation of today's Europe.

The event opened with a keynote address by the European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef.

Heritage Malta’s CEO Noel Zammit said the plaque strengthens the Catacombs’ role within international cultural networks and fills the agency with confidence that more Maltese sites will achieve similar recognition in the future.

To celebrate this milestone, St Paul’s Catacombs will open their doors to the public on Sunday 24th May for a full day of engaging family-friendly activities, including a Roman funerary procession, an ‘Ask the Curator’ session, an osteology hands-on activity and a treasure hunt designed especially for children. Guided tours will run throughout the day, offering deeper insight into the Catacombs.