Mdina Main Gate - Baroque gateway. Located in Mdina, Malta
Photograph Mdina Main Gate
The main entrance to the old fortified city of Medina from it's newer suburb Rabat. The entrance is located very near to Rabat's bus station
More information and photographs of Mdina Main Gate
This gateway was designed by de Mondion, a prodigious builder for the Order of St. John. This Mdina gate was built a few metres to the left of the original gate in 1724. The location of the original gate is clearly visible in the now solid wall, see some of the other photos on this page. The building of the new gate was to enlarge the palace, Palazzo Giuratale, damaged in the great eathquake of 1693. The new palace built for Grand Master Vilhena was renamed Palazzo Vilhena
The coat of arms above the gate are of. The lions in the coat of arm are repeated as statues on the bridge in front of the gate and also in the statues on the outer end of the bridge.
On the inner side of the Mdina gate are 3 statues of patron saints, the palm branches are a sybol of martyrdom
- St Publius
- St Paul
- Agatha
Below the statues are 2 plaques
- The coat of arms of the Inguanez, the island's oldest noblearistocratic family
- An inscription
The blank space was defaced by the French in 1798.