Mdina Metropolitan Cathedral Museum
Introduction
The Mdina Metropolitan Cathedral Museum, located in the ancient walled city of Mdina, Malta, offers visitors a cultural treasure trove just steps away from the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral. Housed in a breathtaking eighteenth‑century Baroque palace that once served as a seminary, the museum presents a rich and varied collection of art, religious artifacts, antiquities, and music, inviting guests to experience centuries of Maltese history and religious devotion.
About the Museum
Originally built between 1733 and 1742, the structure began its life as the diocesan seminary under the patronage of Archbishop Paul Alpheran de Bussan, likely designed by Andrea Belli. The two‑storey palace, built around a leafy central courtyard, features classrooms, dormitories, a refectory, chapel, and classrooms—an architectural testament to Baroque grandeur.
In 1969, the building became home to the Mdina Cathedral Museum, housing artifacts that had previously been cared for in various venues since the late nineteenth century. Today, the museum boasts a diverse assemblage: religious and secular works, illuminated manuscripts, archaeological objects (including coins dating from Carthaginian and Roman eras), silverware, vestments, historic furniture, and fine art spanning from the fourteenth to the twentieth century.
A highlight of the museum is the permanent exhibition of original woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer—seventy‑six in total, including the complete series The Life of the Virgin and The Small Passion—one of the largest collections of its kind beyond Germany.
Complementing these are striking silver statues of apostles and saints from 1741, a glittering bequest of Maltese silverware from the seventeenth century, and inspiring vestments and liturgical objects gifted by local patrons.
An elegant octagonal chapel within the palace, designed by Martin de Bussan, features an illusionistic “fake dome” and an exquisite set of mid‑eighteenth‑century paintings by Antoine Favray and Francesco Zahra, including a moving altarpiece of the Annunciation.
Interesting Facts
- Largest Dürer collection outside Germany: Includes the complete woodcut series The Life of the Virgin and copper‑plate series The Small Passion.
- Medieval bell “Petronilla”: A rare sugar‑loaf‑shaped bell dating from 1370, once used in the cathedral’s belfry, can still be heard via recording in the museum.
- Silver statues ransom tale: The fifteen silver statues of apostles, Saints John the Baptist, Paul, and Our Lady were once nearly confiscated to mint coins during the French blockade (1798–1800) but were ransomed twice and saved.
- Wooden polyptych of Saint Paul: Inherited from Count Saverio Marchese, this fifteenth‑century wooden altarpiece is among the oldest altar paintings in Malta.
- Adaptive reuse: Over the centuries, the buildings were used as a seminary, British military headquarters during the Crimean War, a boarding school in World War II, and finally a museum in 1969.
Photo Gallery
Physical Location
Contact Details
Phone: +3562 145 4697
Website: metropolitanchapter.com/mdina-cathedral-museum/
Facebook: facebook.com/MdinaMuseum#
Conclusion
For visitors seeking a journey through centuries of Maltese cultural, religious, and artistic heritage, the Mdina Metropolitan Cathedral Museum is not to be missed. Its glorious Baroque setting enhances a collection that beautifully balances world‑class art—such as the Dürer engravings and Favray paintings—with local treasures in silver, vestments, medieval artifacts, and religious heirlooms. Each room invites reflection and discovery, whether in the breathtaking chapel, the coin‑filled galleries, or the intimate display of historical music manuscripts. A visit here is a feast for the eyes, the spirit, and the mind—a celebration of Malta’s rich cultural tapestry.
