MALTA: DAY 2, PART 2 - MDINA AND RABAT, ST. JOSEPH'S DAY, RABAT'S BASILICA OF ST. PAUL, AND MORE

 March 19, 2024

Our next stop was Mdina, a walled city that at one time was the island's capital. It is next to Rabat. There is a city named Medina in Saudi Arabia and Rabat is the capital of Morocco, so that should give you a hint that at one time settlers of this area were Arabs.

These days, no cars are allowed in Mdina, and it has the nickname "The Silent City." 

You would think there would be little open space in a country that is only 17 miles long and 9 miles wide, but we actually traversed some beautiful green spaces where we could see animals grazing in the fields. After some "cross-country" driving, we soon had a a good view of the walls of Mdina (population 250) and the adjacent city of Rabat (population 11,000).

We stopped to admire the view of the two cities and the flower-blanketed hillsides leading up to them.

As we approached Mdina and Rabat, we could tell right away that there was a party going on, and we felt right at home as soon as we saw the "Mr. America Meals" food truck in the parking lot.

One of the first things I noticed was this statue of Joseph holding the Baby Jesus. Once we entered the city proper, this statue, combined with the party atmosphere, became more significant when we were reminded by our guide Julia that it was St. Joseph's Day, a national holiday in Malta.

We disembarked from the van and crossed over the moat to enter the city. It was time for lunch and we were hungry, so our first plan was to find a restaurant.

Once we got into the restaurant area, however, it was hard to move. The streets were packed with celebrants. Many places were closed, along with schools and government jobs. It was one giant party!

Colorful banners and flags hung like bunting from the buildings.

Interesting light fixtures rose out of clay pots.

But we pushed through the crowds and finally made it to the award-winning Castelletti Restaurant, located in a 17th-century building.

The five of us shared this beautiful two-level charcuterie tray:

I had ricotta-stuffed ravioli, and Bob had lamb shank. I'm not sure what Chris, Stan, and Julia had, but it was all good!

Back out on the pedestrian streets, we saw a stage set up for a concert.

The streets were still very crowded . . . 

. . . and at one point we slipped into an alley just to take a breath. It's clear that St. Joseph is an important figure in Malta. There are many permanent monuments to him throughout the city. By the way, the Maltese translation of St. Joseph is San Ġużepp. 

Stan is trying to figure out who these two guys are. They are Pope John XXIII, who was pope from 1958-1963, and Pope Pius XXII, who was pope from 1939-1958 (during World War II years):

The banners all over town show New Testament scenes that involve Joseph, such as the Nativity and the flight to Egypt:

This one shows Joseph the carpenter teaching his trade to his son Jesus, with Mary watching from the background.  That church behind is the Basilica of St. Paul in Rabat.

Paul preaches from a nearby pedestal:

The Basilica of St. Paul was built in the 17th century to replace  a church completed less than 100 years before. 

This rendering of Christ in a niche above the main entrance is made especially interesting by the shadows from the post-mounted lights combined with the rays of light emanating from Christ's body.

Here we are, the happy wanderers:

Next to the the Basilica is the Wignacourt Museum, a building that in the early 17th century housed the Chaplains of the Order of St. John, whose Grand Master was named Alof de Wignacourt. 

And there is St. Paul AGAIN, making sure we know our scripture. He holds a book open to Galatians 6:14: "But it is far from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world was crucified to me, and I to the world."  (Paul's writings can be a bit challenging.)

Our interest in the museum was its underground level called The Grotto, the place where St. Paul is said to have lived and preached during the three months he was in Malta in 60 AD. There are several statues at the base of the stairs that lead to the grotto, but I can't find any information about them. I like this one of Paul(?) pointing to the faces of Mary and the Infant Jesus on his tablet. 

Two more statues of ??? Perhaps one is St. Luke, who is said to have been with Paul on the journey and who also survived the shipwreck.

The important part of the Grotto, however, is behind this iron grille:

Here is where Paul lived (or was imprisoned?) during his time in Malta. In 1748, Grand Master Pinto donated a statue of Paul for the grotto, and it has been visited by quite an assortment of Popes, including Pope John Paul II in 1990 and 2001, Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, and Pope Francis in 2022.

There is a tender message from Pope John Paul II to the Maltese people engraved on a marble plaque outside the grotto.

The grotto isn't a large space, and it wouldn't be very fun to live here.

This lower level also includes many passageways and catacombs that we did not explore. I've read that Maltese people hid down here during World War II bombing raids on the island.

The Sanctuary of St. Publius is on the upper floor of the Wigancourt Museum, above the Grotto. Unfortunately, it was closed and all we could do was look in from the back. Tradition says St. Publius was consecrated as Bishop of Malta by St. Paul. This chapel was probably added to the Grotto in the early 17th century and cared for by the Knights of the Order of St. John.

I think this painting shows the consecration of Publius by Paul. Note that Paul is placing a miter hat on Publius.

The painting above the main altar is by Mattia Preti, one of the most sought after artists in Malta during the 17th century. Note that the Christ child is holding the eight-pointed Maltese cross in his right hand.

We still had a few more things to see, including one more church dedicated to St. Paul.