Misplaced Pages

Mdina: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 17:23, 8 March 2024 editAndy02124 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users9,794 edits Resolving Category:Harv and Sfn no-target errors: add Cassar 2000, change Brincat cite from journal to book← Previous edit Revision as of 04:51, 7 April 2024 edit undoLlywelynII (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, Extended confirmed users, IP block exemptions90,637 edits mention of massacre and refounding in lead; cleanup of grammar/phrasing in history; links and formatting; merely historical names out of lead sentence; phn name corrected: see sources and Talk:Malta, Talk:Melite (ancient city)Tag: harv-errorNext edit →
Line 7: Line 7:
| native_name = {{native name|mt|L-Imdina}} | native_name = {{native name|mt|L-Imdina}}
| official_name = | official_name =
| other_name = Città Notabile, Città Vecchia<br />Maleth, Melite, Melita | other_name = Città Notabile, Città Vecchia<br />Ann, Melite, Melita
| settlement_type = City and ] | settlement_type = City and ]
| image_skyline = {{multiple image | image_skyline = {{multiple image
Line 37: Line 37:
| subdivision_name2 = ] | subdivision_name2 = ]
| established_title = Established | established_title = Established
| established_date = {{circa|8th century BC}} as ]<br />{{circa|11th century AD}} as Mdina | established_date = {{circa|8th century BC}} as Ann<br />{{circa|11th century AD}} as Mdina
| parts_type = Borders | parts_type = Borders
| parts_style = para | parts_style = para
Line 73: Line 73:
}} }}


'''Mdina''' ({{lang-mt|L-Imdina}} {{IPA-mt|lɪmˈdiːnɐ|}}; {{lang-phn|𐤌𐤋𐤈|Maleṭ}}; {{lang-grc|Μελίττη|]}}; {{lang-ar|مدينة|Madīnah}}; {{Lang-it|Medina}}), also known by its Italian-language titles '''{{lang|it|Città Vecchia|italics=no}}''' ("Old City") and '''{{lang|it|Città Notabile|italics=no}}''' ("Notable City"), is a ] city in the ] of ] which served as the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls, and has a population of 250, but it is contiguous with the town of ], which takes its name from the ], and has a population of over 11,000 (as of March 2014).<ref>{{cite web |title=Estimated Population by Locality 31st March, 2014 |url=https://secure2.gov.mt/localgovernment/file.aspx?f=7810 |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621211549/https://secure2.gov.mt/localgovernment/file.aspx?f=7810 |archive-date=21 June 2015 |date=16 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> '''Mdina''' ({{lang-mt|L-Imdina}} {{IPA-mt|lɪmˈdiːnɐ|}}; {{Lang-it|Medina}}), also known by its Italian epithets '''{{lang|it|Città Vecchia|italics=no}}''' ("Old City") and '''{{lang|it|Città Notabile|italics=no}}''' ("Notable City"), is a ] city in the ] of ] which served as the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls, and has a population of 250, but it is contiguous with the town of ], which takes its name from the ], and has a population of over 11,000 (as of March 2014).<ref>{{cite web |title=Estimated Population by Locality 31st March, 2014 |url=https://secure2.gov.mt/localgovernment/file.aspx?f=7810 |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150621211549/https://secure2.gov.mt/localgovernment/file.aspx?f=7810 |archive-date=21 June 2015 |date=16 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>


The city was founded as '''Maleth''' in around the 8th century BC by ]n settlers, and was later renamed ''']''' by the ]. Ancient Melite was larger than present-day Mdina, and it was reduced to its present size during the ] or Arab occupation of Malta. During the latter period, the city adopted its present name, which derives from the ] word {{lang|ar-Latn|]}}. The city remained the capital of Malta throughout the Middle Ages, until the arrival of the ] in 1530, when ] became the administrative centre of the island. Mdina experienced a period of decline over the following centuries, although it saw a revival in the early 18th century. At this point, it acquired several ] features, although it did not lose its medieval character. A natural redoubt, the area of the city has been inhabited since prehistory. A ]n ] known as '''Ann''' ({{lang-phn|𐤀𐤍𐤍‎}}, {{sc|ʾnn}}) was established around the {{nowrap|8th century BC,}} sharing its name with the island and presumably acting as its capital. During the ], the town was acquired by the ] and renamed ''']''' ({{lang-grc-gre|Μελίτη}}, {{translit|grc|Melítē]]}}) after the Greek and ] name for the island, probably taken from the Punic port at ] on the ]. Greco-Roman Melite was larger than present-day Mdina. It was reduced to its present size during the period of ] or ]. Following a 9th century massacre, the area was largely uninhabited until its refounding in the 11th century as '''Madīnah''' ({{lang-ar|مدينة}}), pronounced "Medina" in some ] of ] and meaning a ]. Mdina continued to serve as the capital of Malta until the arrival of the ] in 1530, who used ] instead. Mdina experienced a period of decline over the following centuries, although it saw a revival in the early 18th century during which several ] buildings were erected.


Mdina remained the centre of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities (and property continues to largely be passed down from families and from generation to generation), but it never regained its pre-1530 importance, giving rise to the popular nickname the "Silent City" by both locals and visitors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mdina & Rabat |url=https://www.visitmalta.com/en/mdina-and-rabat |website=VisitMalta |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613050338/https://www.visitmalta.com/en/mdina-and-rabat |archive-date=13 June 2020}}</ref> Mdina is on the tentative list of ] ]s, and it is now one of the main tourist attractions in Malta.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blasi |first1=Abigail |title=Top 10 day trips in Malta |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/malta/travel-tips-and-articles/top-10-day-trips-in-malta |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010132218/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/malta/travel-tips-and-articles/top-10-day-trips-in-malta |archive-date=10 October 2015 |date=29 September 2014 }}</ref> Largely maintaining its medieval character, Mdina remained the centre of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities and property continues to largely be passed down from families and from generation to generation. It never regained its pre-1530 importance, however, giving rise to the popular nickname the "Silent City" by both locals and visitors.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mdina & Rabat |url=https://www.visitmalta.com/en/mdina-and-rabat |website=VisitMalta |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613050338/https://www.visitmalta.com/en/mdina-and-rabat |archive-date=13 June 2020}}</ref> Mdina is on the tentative list of ] ]s, and it is now one of the main tourist attractions in Malta.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Blasi |first1=Abigail |title=Top 10 day trips in Malta |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/malta/travel-tips-and-articles/top-10-day-trips-in-malta |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010132218/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/malta/travel-tips-and-articles/top-10-day-trips-in-malta |archive-date=10 October 2015 |date=29 September 2014 }}</ref>


==History== ==History==
Line 84: Line 84:
] ]
attests to Malta's Phoenician past]] attests to Malta's Phoenician past]]
The plateau on which Mdina is built has been inhabited since prehistory, and by the ] it was a place of refuge since it was naturally defensible.<ref name="spiteri3–4">{{harvnb|Spiteri|2004–2007|pp=3–4}}</ref> The Phoenicians colonized Malta around the 8th century BC, and they founded the city of Maleth on this plateau.<ref>{{harvnb|Cassar|2000|pp=53–54}}</ref> It was taken over by the ] in 218 BC, becoming known as ]. The Punic-Roman city was about three times the size of present-day Mdina, extending into a large part of modern ].<ref>{{harvnb|Sagona|2015|p=273}}</ref> The plateau on which Mdina is built has been inhabited since prehistory, and by the ] it was a place of refuge since it was naturally defensible.<ref name="spiteri3–4">{{harvnb|Spiteri|2004–2007|pp=3–4}}</ref> The ] established a ] at the site, known as Ann after their name for the island,{{sfnp|Cullican|1992}}{{sfnp|Filigheddu|2006}}{{sfnp|Vella|2023}} around the 8th century BC.{{sfnp|Cassar|2000|pp=53–54}} The ] captured Malta in {{nowrap|218 BC}}, early in the ]. They continued to use Mdina as their centre of administration but renamed it ] after the ] and ] name for the island, probably taken from the main Punic port on the ].{{sfnp|Vella|2023}} The Punico-Roman city was about three times the size of present-day Mdina, extending into a large part of modern ].{{sfnp|Sagona|2015|p=273}}


According to Early Modern interpretation the ], when ] was shipwrecked on Malta in 60 AD, he was greeted by ], the governor of Melite, and he cured his sick father.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|28:1-10}}</ref> According to tradition, the population of Melite converted to Christianity, and Publius became the first ] and then ] before being martyred in 112 AD.<ref>{{cite web|title=Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome|url=http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdjan.htm|website=Orthodox England|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326125437/http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdjan.htm|archive-date=26 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Orthodox Malta|url=http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/oemalta.htm|website=Orthodox England|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307112535/http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/oemalta.htm|archive-date=7 March 2016}}</ref> According to the ], ] was shipwrecked on Malta in {{nowrap|AD 60,}} greeted by its governor ], and miraculously cured the governor's sick father before leaving.<ref>{{bibleverse|Acts|28:1-10}}</ref> ] holds that the population of Malta then converted to ], with Publius becoming ] and then ] before being ] in 112.<ref>{{cite web|title=Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome|url=http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdjan.htm|website=Orthodox England|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326125437/http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdjan.htm|archive-date=26 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Orthodox Malta|url=http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/oemalta.htm|website=Orthodox England|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307112535/http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/oemalta.htm|archive-date=7 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Traill|first=Henry Duff|date=1891|title=The Picturesque Mediterranean|url=https://www.forgottenbooks.com/en/download/The_Picturesque_Mediterranean_Its_Cities_Shores_and_Islands_v2_1000265522.pdf|volume=2|publisher=Cassell|location=from University of California|pages=53–54}}</ref>


Very few remains of the Punic-Roman city survive today. The most significant are the ruins of the ], in which several well-preserved mosaics, statues and other remains were discovered. Remains of the podium of a ], fragments of the city walls and some other sites have also been excavated.<ref name="times2002-03-19">{{cite news|last1=Testa|first1=Michael|title=New find at Mdina most important so far in old capital|url=http://www.maltamigration.com/news/times93020.shtml|work=]|date=19 March 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413115810/http://www.maltamigration.com/news/times93020.shtml|archive-date=13 April 2016}}</ref> Very few remains of the Punico-Roman city survive today. The most significant are the ruins of the ], in which several well-preserved mosaics, statues and other remains were discovered. Remains of the podium of a ], fragments of the city walls and some other sites have also been excavated.<ref name="times2002-03-19">{{cite news|last1=Testa|first1=Michael|title=New find at Mdina most important so far in old capital|url=http://www.maltamigration.com/news/times93020.shtml|work=]|date=19 March 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413115810/http://www.maltamigration.com/news/times93020.shtml|archive-date=13 April 2016}}</ref>


===Medieval period=== ===Medieval period===
Line 199: Line 199:


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Commons}} {{Commons}}
{{wikivoyage|Mdina}} {{wikivoyage|Mdina}}
===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}


==Bibliography== ===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}} {{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book|last1=Blouet|first1=Brian W.|title=The Story of Malta|date=2007|publisher=Allied Publications|isbn=9789990930818}} *{{cite book|last1=Blouet|first1=Brian W.|title=The Story of Malta|date=2007|publisher=Allied Publications|isbn=9789990930818}}
Line 210: Line 211:
*{{cite book|last1=Cassar|first1=Carmel|title=A Concise History of Malta|date=2000|publisher=Mireva Publications|location=]|isbn=1870579526}} *{{cite book|last1=Cassar|first1=Carmel|title=A Concise History of Malta|date=2000|publisher=Mireva Publications|location=]|isbn=1870579526}}
*{{cite book|last1=Castillo|first1=Dennis Angelo|title=The Maltese Cross: A Strategic History of Malta|date=2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780313323294|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5ns5LNtoiUC&pg=103}} *{{cite book|last1=Castillo|first1=Dennis Angelo|title=The Maltese Cross: A Strategic History of Malta|date=2006|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780313323294|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5ns5LNtoiUC&pg=103}}
* {{citation |last=Culican |first=William |author-link=William Culican |contribution=Phoenicia and Phoenician Colonization |title=The Cambridge Ancient History |pp=461-546 |date=1992 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=] }}.
* {{citation |last=Filigheddu |first=Paolo |contribution=Die Ortsnamen des Mittelmeerraums in der Phönizischen und Punischen Überlieferung |pages=149–266 |publisher=Ugarit Verlag |date=2007 |editor=Manfried Dietrich |editor2=Oswald Loretz |display-editors=0 |location=Munster |title=Ugarit-Forschungen: Internationales Jahrbuch für die Altertumskunde Syrien-Palästinas |volume={{nbsp}} 38 2006 |ref={{harvid|Filigheddu|2006}} }}. {{in lang|de}}
*{{cite book|last1=Goodwin|first1=Stefan|title=Malta, Mediterranean Bridge|date=2002|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780897898201|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=up9Fy-NBiLAC&pg=PA48}} *{{cite book|last1=Goodwin|first1=Stefan|title=Malta, Mediterranean Bridge|date=2002|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=9780897898201|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=up9Fy-NBiLAC&pg=PA48}}
*{{cite book|last1=Sagona|first1=Claudia|title=The Archaeology of Malta|date=2015|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781107006690|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qR5TCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA273}} *{{cite book|last1=Sagona|first1=Claudia|title=The Archaeology of Malta|date=2015|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781107006690|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qR5TCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA273}}
*{{cite journal|last1=Spiteri|first1=Stephen C.|title=The 'Castellu di la Chitati' the medieval castle of the walled town of Mdina|journal=Arx – Online Journal of Military Architecture and Fortification|date=2004–2007|issue=1–4|url=http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/Arx/arx1_4_2008.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115113200/http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/Arx/arx1_4_2008.pdf|archive-date=15 November 2015}} *{{cite journal|last1=Spiteri|first1=Stephen C.|title=The 'Castellu di la Chitati' the medieval castle of the walled town of Mdina|journal=Arx – Online Journal of Military Architecture and Fortification|date=2004–2007|issue=1–4|url=http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/Arx/arx1_4_2008.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115113200/http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/Arx/arx1_4_2008.pdf|archive-date=15 November 2015}}
* {{citation |last=Vella |first=John |contribution-url=https://www.athensjournals.gr/mediterranean/2023-9-1-2-Vella.pdf |contribution=Greek Words in Maltese Harbour Toponymy |title=Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies |volume=9 |issue=1 |date=January 2023 |pp=25-52 }}.
{{Refend}} {{Refend}}



Revision as of 04:51, 7 April 2024

City in the Northern Region of Malta Not to be confused with Medina or Midna. "Silent City" redirects here. For other uses, see Silent City (disambiguation).

City and Local council in Northern Region, Malta
Mdina L-Imdina (Maltese)Città Notabile, Città Vecchia
Ann, Melite, Melita
City and Local council
From top: Skyline, Cathedral, Main Gate, Palazzo Santa Sofia, Palazzo Vilhena
Flag of MdinaFlagCoat of arms of MdinaCoat of arms
Nickname: The Silent City
Mdina is located in MaltaMdinaMdinaShow map of MaltaMdina is located in MediterraneanMdinaMdinaShow map of Mediterranean
Coordinates: 35°53′9″N 14°24′11″E / 35.88583°N 14.40306°E / 35.88583; 14.40306
Country Malta
RegionNorthern Region
DistrictWestern District
Establishedc. 8th century BC as Ann
c. 11th century AD as Mdina
BordersAttard, Mtarfa, Rabat
Government
 • MayorPeter Sant Manduca (PN)
Area
 • Total0.9 km (0.3 sq mi)
Population
 • Total93
Demonym(s)Midjan (m), Midjana (f), Midjani (pl)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal codeMDN
Dialing code356
ISO 3166 codeMT-29
Patron saintsSt. Peter
St. Paul
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Day of festa29 June
4th Sunday of July
Buses 50, 51, 52, 53, 56 from Valletta terminus, stop at bus stop named "Rabat 3"

Mdina (Template:Lang-mt [lɪmˈdiːnɐ]; Template:Lang-it), also known by its Italian epithets Città Vecchia ("Old City") and Città Notabile ("Notable City"), is a fortified city in the Northern Region of Malta which served as the island's capital from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls, and has a population of 250, but it is contiguous with the town of Rabat, which takes its name from the Arabic word for suburb, and has a population of over 11,000 (as of March 2014).

A natural redoubt, the area of the city has been inhabited since prehistory. A Phoenician colony known as Ann (Template:Lang-phn, ʾNN) was established around the 8th century BC, sharing its name with the island and presumably acting as its capital. During the Punic Wars, the town was acquired by the Romans and renamed Melita (Template:Lang-grc-gre, Melítē]]) after the Greek and Latin name for the island, probably taken from the Punic port at Cospicua on the Grand Harbour. Greco-Roman Melite was larger than present-day Mdina. It was reduced to its present size during the period of Byzantine or Arab rule. Following a 9th century massacre, the area was largely uninhabited until its refounding in the 11th century as Madīnah (Template:Lang-ar), pronounced "Medina" in some dialects of Arabic and meaning a walled city. Mdina continued to serve as the capital of Malta until the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530, who used Birgu instead. Mdina experienced a period of decline over the following centuries, although it saw a revival in the early 18th century during which several Baroque buildings were erected.

Largely maintaining its medieval character, Mdina remained the centre of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities and property continues to largely be passed down from families and from generation to generation. It never regained its pre-1530 importance, however, giving rise to the popular nickname the "Silent City" by both locals and visitors. Mdina is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and it is now one of the main tourist attractions in Malta.

History

Antiquity

Main article: Melite (ancient city)
The Mdina stele attests to Malta's Phoenician past

The plateau on which Mdina is built has been inhabited since prehistory, and by the Bronze Age it was a place of refuge since it was naturally defensible. The Phoenicians established a colony at the site, known as Ann after their name for the island, around the 8th century BC. The Roman Republic captured Malta in 218 BC, early in the Second Punic War. They continued to use Mdina as their centre of administration but renamed it Melita after the Greek and Latin name for the island, probably taken from the main Punic port on the Grand Harbour. The Punico-Roman city was about three times the size of present-day Mdina, extending into a large part of modern Rabat.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked on Malta in AD 60, greeted by its governor Publius, and miraculously cured the governor's sick father before leaving. Christian legend holds that the population of Malta then converted to Christianity, with Publius becoming Bishop of Malta and then Bishop of Athens before being martyred in 112.

Very few remains of the Punico-Roman city survive today. The most significant are the ruins of the Domus Romana, in which several well-preserved mosaics, statues and other remains were discovered. Remains of the podium of a Temple of Apollo, fragments of the city walls and some other sites have also been excavated.

Medieval period

At some point following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, a retrenchment was built within the city, reducing it to its present size. This was done to make the city's perimeter more easily defensible, and similar reductions in city sizes were common around the Mediterranean region in the early Middle Ages. Although it was traditionally assumed that the retrenchment was built by the Arabs, it has been suggested that it was actually built by the Byzantine Empire in around the 8th century, when the threat from the Arabs increased.

In 870, Byzantine Melite, which was ruled by governor Amros (probably Ambrosios), was besieged by Aghlabids led by Halaf al-Hādim. He was killed in the fighting, and Sawāda Ibn Muḥammad was sent from Sicily to continue the siege following his death. The duration of the siege is unknown, but it probably lasted for some weeks or months. After Melite fell to the invaders, the inhabitants were massacred, the city was destroyed and its churches were looted. Marble from Melite's churches was used to build the castle of Sousse.

According to Al-Himyarī, Malta remained almost uninhabited until it was resettled in 1048 or 1049 by a Muslim community and their slaves, who built a settlement called Medina on the site of Melite. Archaeological evidence suggests that the city was already a thriving Muslim settlement by the beginning of the 11th century, so 1048–49 might be the date when the city was officially founded and its walls were constructed. The layout of the new city was completely different to that of ancient Melite. Mdina still has features typical of a medina, a legacy of the period of Arab rule.

The Byzantines besieged Medina in 1053–54, but were repelled by its defenders. The city surrendered peacefully to Roger I of Sicily after a short siege in 1091, and Malta was subsequently incorporated into the County and later the Kingdom of Sicily, being dominated by a succession of feudal lords. A castle known as the Castellu di la Chitati was built on the southeast corner of the city near the main entrance, probably on the site of an earlier Byzantine fort.

The population of Malta during the fifteenth century was about 10,000, with town life limited to Mdina, Birgu and the Gozo Citadel. Mdina was comparatively small and partly uninhabited and by 1419, it was already outgrown by its suburb, Rabat. Under Aragonese rule, local government rested on the Università, a communal body based in Mdina, which collected taxation and administered the islands' limited resources. At various points during the fifteenth century, this town council complained to its Aragonese overlords that the islands were at the mercy of the sea and the saracens.

The city withstood a siege by Hafsid invaders in 1429. While the exact number of casualties or Maltese who were carried into slavery is unknown, the islands suffered depopulation in this raid.

Hospitaller rule

Aerial view of Mdina and its fortifications

When the Order of Saint John took over in Malta in 1530, the nobles ceremoniously handed over the keys of the city to Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, but the Order settled in Birgu and Mdina lost its status as capital city. In the 1540s, the fortifications began to be upgraded during the magistracy of Juan de Homedes y Coscon, and in 1551 the city withstood a brief Ottoman attack.

During the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, Mdina was the base of the Order's cavalry, which made occasional sorties on the invading Ottomans. On 7 August 1565, the cavalry attacked the unprotected Ottoman field hospital, which led in the invaders abandoning a major assault on the main fortifications in Birgu and Senglea. The Ottomans attempted to take Mdina in September so as to winter there, but abandoned their plans when the city fired its cannon inefficiently at a much longer range than normal, leading them to believe that it had ammunition to spare. After the siege, Maltese military engineer Girolamo Cassar drew up plans to reduce Mdina's size by half and turning it into a fortress, but these were never implemented due to protests by the city's nobles. The fortifications were again upgraded in the mid-17th century, when the large De Redin Bastion was built at the centre of the land front.

Mdina suffered severe damage during the 1693 Sicily earthquake, although no casualties were reported the 13th-century Cathedral of St. Paul was partially destroyed, and it was rebuilt by Lorenzo Gafà in the Baroque style between 1697 and 1703.

On 3 November 1722, newly elected Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena issued orders for the restoration and renovation of Mdina. This renovation was entrusted to the French architect and military engineer Charles François de Mondion, who introduced strong French Baroque elements into what was still a largely medieval city. At this point, large parts of the fortifications and the city entrance were completely rebuilt. The remains of the Castellu di la Chitati were demolished to make way for Palazzo Vilhena, while the main gate was walled up and a new Mdina Gate was built nearby. Several public buildings were also built, including the Banca Giuratale and the Corte Capitanale. The last major addition to the Mdina fortifications was Despuig Bastion, which was completed in 1746.

French occupation and British rule

Plaque near the Torre dello Standardo commemorating six Maltese people who were killed during the uprising of September 1798

On 10 June 1798, Mdina was captured by French forces without much resistance during the French invasion of Malta. A French garrison remained in the city, but a Maltese uprising broke out on 2 September of that year. The following day, rebels entered the city through a sally port and massacred the garrison of 65 men. These events marked the beginning of a two-year uprising and blockade, and the Maltese set up a National Assembly which met at Mdina's Banca Giuratale. The rebels were successful, and in 1800 the French surrendered and Malta became a British protectorate.

From 1883 to 1931, Mdina was linked with Valletta by the Malta Railway.

Present day

Today, Mdina is one of Malta's major tourist attractions, hosting about 1,5 million tourists a year. No cars (other than a limited number of residents, emergency vehicles, wedding cars and horses) are allowed in Mdina, partly why it has earned the nickname 'the Silent City' (Template:Lang-mt). The city displays an unusual mix of Norman and Baroque architecture, including several palaces, most of which serve as private homes.

An extensive restoration of the city walls was undertaken between 2008 and 2016.

Government

Mdina Local Council Composition:
Mayoral Majority:
 •   Partit Nazzjonalista (4)
Minority:
 •   Partit Laburista (1)

Local Council

Mdina is governed by a directly-elected 5-member Local Council. The Nationalist Party has always had the majority of seats and all mayors of Mdina have come from this party, with the Labour Party holding either one, two or no seats at all since the inception of the Council. Peter Joseph Sant Manduca, Count of Sant Manduca, has been Mayor of Mdina since 2003. The 2019 election did not happen as only five nominations (therefore equalling the total amount of seats) were submitted.

Places of interest

St. Paul's Cathedral
Cathedral Museum

The following are a number of historic and monumental buildings around Mdina:

Sports

Founded in 2006, the Mdina Knights F.C. play in the third division league of the Malta Football Association.

Streets in Mdina

Villegaignon Street, with the Banca Giuratale visible in the centre
  • Misraħ il-Kunsill (Council Square)
  • Pjazza San Pawl (St Paul Square)
  • Pjazza San Publiju (St Publius Square)
  • Pjazza tal-Arċisqof (Archbishop Square)
  • Pjazza tas-Sur (Bastion Square)
  • Pjazzetta Beata Marija Adeodata Pisani (Blessed Maria Adeodata Pisani Square)
  • Triq Inguanez (Inguanez Street)
  • Triq Mesquita (Mesquita Street)
  • Triq is-Sur (Bastion Street)
  • Triq San Pawl (St Paul Street)
  • Triq Santu Rokku (St Roch Street)
  • Triq l-Imħażen (Magazines' Street)
  • Triq Villegaignon (Villegaignon Street) (Main road).

In popular culture

  • Mdina (together with Birgu and Gozo) plays a significant role in The Disorderly Knights, the third book of the acclaimed Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett, which is set around the events of the Dragut Raid of 1551 when the Ottomans briefly besieged the city.
  • In White Wolf Publishing's World of Darkness, Mdina is the European capital of clan Lasombra.
  • In the 2007 novel Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz, Mdina is the site of an "ambush" where MI6 intends to retrieve Alex Rider's father John.
  • In the first season of HBO's Game of Thrones, Mdina was the filming location for the series' fictional capital city of King's Landing. More specifically, Mesquita Square is the shooting location of Littlefinger’s brothel and the town’s baroque gate can be seen in the first season (episode 3).
  • The action of several chapters (21ff) of A.J. Hackwith's fantasy novel The Library of the Unwritten (2019) is set in Mdina; the city has a special status in that "Nothing not born of humankind - not angel or demon - gets in without invitation from its residents" (p. 186).

Notable people

Notes

  1. Peter Joseph dei Conti Sant Manduca is the name he registers in local council elections.

References

Citations

  1. "Route Map". Malta Public Transport. 19 April 2016. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016.
  2. "Estimated Population by Locality 31st March, 2014". Government of Malta. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015.
  3. "Mdina & Rabat". VisitMalta. Archived from the original on 13 June 2020.
  4. Blasi, Abigail (29 September 2014). "Top 10 day trips in Malta". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 10 October 2015.
  5. ^ Spiteri 2004–2007, pp. 3–4
  6. Cullican (1992). sfnp error: no target: CITEREFCullican1992 (help)
  7. Filigheddu (2006).
  8. ^ Vella (2023).
  9. Cassar (2000), pp. 53–54.
  10. Sagona (2015), p. 273.
  11. Acts 28:1–10
  12. "Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome". Orthodox England. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016.
  13. "Orthodox Malta". Orthodox England. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
  14. Traill, Henry Duff (1891). "The Picturesque Mediterranean" (PDF). from University of California: Cassell. pp. 53–54.
  15. ^ Testa, Michael (19 March 2002). "New find at Mdina most important so far in old capital". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 13 April 2016.
  16. Brincat 1995, p. 11
  17. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/41626/1/Malta_fiz-zmien_nofsani_1989.pdf
  18. Blouet 2007, p. 41
  19. Brincat 1995, p. 12
  20. Dalli, Charles (2005). "The Siculo-African Peace and Roger I's Annexation of Malta in 1091". In Cortis, Toni; Gambin, Timothy (eds.). De Triremibus: Festschrift in honour of Joseph Muscat (PDF). Publishers Enterprises Group (PEG) Ltd. p. 273. ISBN 9789990904093. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2014.
  21. Luttrell, Anthony (1975). Medieval Malta: studies on Malta before the Knights. Rome: The British School at Rome. p. 55.
  22. Vann, Theresa M. (2004). "The Militia of Malta". The Journal of Medieval Military History. 2: 137–142.
  23. Cauchi, Mark (12 September 2004). "575th anniversary of the 1429 Siege of Malta". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
  24. Borg 2002, p. 124
  25. Spiteri 2004–2007, p. 9
  26. ^ Grima, Noel (15 June 2015). "The Mdina siege of 1429 was 'greater than the Great Siege' of 1565". The Malta Independent. Archived from the original on 15 August 2015.
  27. "De Redin Bastion – Mdina" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  28. Montanaro Gauci, Gerald (11 January 2015). "Mdina cathedral destroyed in the 1693 earthquake". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 13 December 2015.
  29. De Lucca, Denis (1979). "Mdina: Baroque town planning in 18th century Mdina". Heritage: An Encyclopedia of Maltese Culture and Civilization. 1. Midsea Books Ltd: 21–25.
  30. "Despuig Bastion – Mdina" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2015.
  31. Castillo 2006, p. 103
  32. Goodwin 2002, p. 48
  33. "Malta under the French: The Blockade". kagoon.com. Archived from the original on 27 October 2015.
  34. "The Route". maltarailway.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016.
  35. Cassar, George (2015). "Sustainable Tourism Management - A Collection of Studies from Malta, Lebanon and Jordan" (PDF). Heland. ISBN 978-99957-886-2-9.
  36. "Mdina bastions restoration works completed". Malta Today. 5 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016.
  37. "Sant Manduca". santfournier.org. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  38. PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION, 1800/2008 Malta, https://parlament.mt/media/60131/0468.pdf
  39. Thake, Conrad Gerald (2017). "Architecture and urban transformations in Mdina during the reign of Grand Master Anton Manoel de Vilhena (1722-1736)". ArcHistoR (AHR - Architecture History Restoration). 4 (7). Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria: 88. doi:10.14633/AHR054. ISSN 2384-8898. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017.
  40. "10 Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Malta and Gozo". thewholeworldisaplayground.com. 2 October 2017. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019.
  41. Taskos, Nikos (6 November 2020). "The 31 best things to do in Mdina [with photos]". Miles with Vibes. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  42. ^ "People from Mdina". FamousFix.com. Retrieved 20 July 2022.

Bibliography

Mdina Mdina
History
Coat of arms of Mdina
Coat of arms of Mdina
Architecture
Ancient
Fortifications
Churches
Houses and palaces
Gardens
Other
Sport
Local councils and administrative committees of Malta and Gozo
Malta
Local councils
Malta
Hamlets
Gozo
Local councils
Gozo
Hamlets
Phoenician Hippos ship Phoenician cities and colonies
Algeria
Camarata
Cartennae (Tenes)
Hippo Regius
Icosium (Algiers)
Igilgili (Jijel)
Iol (Cherchell)
Iomnium (Tigzirt)
Cirta (Constantine)
Kissi (Djinet)
Macomades
Malaca
Rachgoun
Rusazus (Azeffoun)
Rusguniae (Tamentfoust)
Rusicade (Skikda)
Rusippisir (Taksebt)
Rusubbicari (Zemmouri El Bahri)
Rusuccuru (Dellys)
Sarai (Aïn Oulmene)
Thagora (Taoura)
Tipasa in Mauretania
Tipasa in Numidia
Timici
Cyprus
Dhali
Kition (Larnaca)
Lapathus
Marion
Greece
Callista (Santorini)
Paxi
Rhodes
Delos
Israel
Achzib
Akka (Acre)
Dora
Michal
Jaffa
Reshef
Shikmona (Haifa)
Strato's Tower (Caesarea)
Italy
Bitan (Chia)
Cape Melqart (Cefalù)
Drepanum (Trapani)
Eryx (Erice)
Heraclea Minoa
Kapara (Soluntum)
Karaly (Cagliari)
Lilybaeum
Motya
Neapolis
Nora
Olbia
Pantelleria
Selinunte
Sulci (Sant'Antioco)
Tharros
Ṣiṣ (Palermo)
Lebanon
Amia
Ampi
Arqa
Athar (Tripoli)
Baalbek
Birut (Beirut)
Botrys (Teros)
Gebal (Byblos)
Ornithon (Tell el-Burak)
Porphyreon (Jieh)
Sarepta
Sidon
Sur (Tyre), Ushu (Palaetyrus)
Umm al-Amad
Libya
Lepcis (Khoms)
Oyat (Tripoli)
Tsabratan
Malta
Maleth (Cospicua)
Ann (Mdina)
Gaulos (Gozo)
Għajn Qajjet
Mtarfa
Ras il-Wardija
Tas-Silġ
Morocco
Azama (Azemmour)
Arambys (Mogador)
Caricus Murus
Heq she Elisha (Ksar es-Seghir)
Likush (Larache)
Shalat (Chellah)
Tamusida
Tinga (Tangier)
Anfa (Casablanca)
Volubilis
Mogador
Rusadir
Oualidia
Zilil
Gadir
Sala
Thymiaterium
Rusibis
Portugal
Portus Hannibalis
Portus Magonis (Portimão)
Olissipona (Lisbon)
Ossonoba (Faro)
Balsa (Tavira)
Spain
Abdera (Adra)
Abyla (Ceuta)
Akra Leuka (Alicante)
Gadir (Cadiz)
Herna
Iboshim (Ibiza)
Mahón
Malake (Málaga)
Onoba
Carthage (Cartagena)
Rushadir (Melilla)
Saguntum
Sexi (Almunecar)
Tagilit (Tíjola)
Toscanos (Velez)
Tyreche
Syria
Arwad
Marat (Amrit)
Balanaea (Baniyas)
Carne
Paltus
Safita
Shuksi
Sumur
Ugarit
Tunisia
Aspis (Kelibia)
Bulla Regia
Carthage
Hadrumetum (Sousse)
Hippo Diarrhytus (Bizerte)
Kerkouane
Lepcis (Monastir)
Maqom Hadesh (Ounga)
Meninx (Djerba)
Ruspe
Ruspina
Sicca (El Kef)
Tabarka
Tayinat (Thyna)
Thapsus
Thysdrus (El Djem)
Utica
Other
Myriandus
Phoenicus
Gibraltar
Tahpanhes
Categories: