A Winter in Malta #5 - Mdina, The Silent City

Hey, fellow Steemians!

Have you ever been to a town that at the same time sends chills down your spine and lures you in, making you want to immerse yourself in it more and more? We visited the walled city of Mdina, also called The Silent City and it left that exact impression on us. It’s hard to describe it but in our eyes, this town was a little different than the other medieval towns.

Surrounded by a deep moat and tall fortifications, it was clear Mdina’s architects didn’t want it to be as easily accessible as it is now. The drawbridge and the gates stood open, not so much as inviting us but letting us inside.

The entrance area was modest in size and irregularly shaped with alleys joining in from all sides. It immediately became clear to us that streets in this place made little sense. We just picked a random path knowing we will reach important spots sooner or later, given how small the town is.

It was then that we felt the eerie beauty of this town. The empty streets filled by the whistle of the wind. Little to no sunshine. The absence of other people. We might have as well called it a ghost town. But that would be unfair. It clearly had a soul, just not the charming and cheerful type. Detached and mysterious, maybe?

The nickname Silent City may have come from several different things. It could be due to the fact Mdina was the capital of the island for a long time but ceased to be so after the Maltese Knights took control, effectively causing it to lose importance. A more recent theory claims the reason is the very limited car traffic which doesn’t produce noise as in regular cities. We like to believe the nickname comes from the town’s timid character and tiny population of just 250 people.

Strolling around the (at some points claustrophobic) alleys, we eventually stumbled upon the main cathedral. This baroque church is dedicated to St. Paul, the patron saint of Mdina who, according to legends, visited this place and cured many local people of illness.

Just a block away is a nice place to get some views of the island. Climbing the battlements we could see half of Malta, all the way up to the opposite shore.

To complete our day in Mdina, we stopped by a restaurant called Fontanella to get some drinks and pizza. The meal was decent enough but the location was more than good. On one side we could see the Maltese landscapes and on other the cathedral. The weather was still a bit chilly so we had to sit inside (although inside means in an enclosed space made of see-through plastic so we could still see everything around us). We bet it just gets better in the spring!

Even though we’ve seen our share of tiny medieval towns, we were still very glad we visited Mdina. If you find yourself in Malta and want to experience a different kind of vibe than Valletta’s, check it out - you might enjoy it as much as we did!