The Cathedral of Mdina, consecrated in honour of St Paul, is the fourth building to appear on this site. In general, the site on which the main Catholic church of the city stands is steeped in legend. It is said that here stood the villa of the Roman Publius, where the Apostle Paul stayed, who came to Malta because of a shipwreck. Publius was christened Paul and became the first bishop of Malta. The inhabitants then built a small, modest church on the site of the villa in the 4th century. A few centuries later it was replaced by a magnificent church built by Roger of Normandy.
The cathedral of Mdina was built with conscience and quite possibly would have survived to this day, if not for the devastating earthquake of 1693. According to local historians, only the altar survived from the temple, around which, with the help of the architect Lorenzo Gafa, the construction of the new cathedral began. It was erected in Baroque style and decorated with two towers with dials on each. One clock of the cathedral shows the time and the other the day and month of the year. In this way, the inhabitants tried to confuse the devil and prevent him from harming the good citizens.
When they dismantled the foundations of the old church, they found a treasure trove of coins, which were just enough to build a new church. The majestic dome of the cathedral was decorated many times. The frescoes we see now were made during the restoration of the 1950s. The most valuable painting of the famous Maltese artist Mattia Preti, depicting the Conversion of St Paul, was transferred from the destroyed Norman cathedral to the new one. In addition, a 15th century painting of the Virgin Mary holding the little Jesus and the wall paintings of the apse have been preserved. As in other churches in Malta, the floor of the cathedral is paved with tombstones of noble knights of the Order of St John. All are decorated with coats of arms, family mottos, epitaphs, and images on the theme of death.
