Elvis Plays the Crystal Palace

Day 3 – Ancient Capitals



On Saturday morning in Valetta, we were finally able to squeeze into St John’s Cathedral, a froth of gold and silver, expressive marble statues and brilliant coloured art works. This could be described as nothing less than typical Baroque exuberance. 

The special, special treat however was seeing in the flesh, two of Caravaggio’s masterpieces – the lustrous and emotive “The Beheading of John the Baptist” (1608) and subdued “St Jerome”.  (No pictures were allowed.)  Although Caravaggio was initially granted a Knighthood, his many misdemeanours caught up with him, and despite his artistic talent, he was eventually expelled from the Order. 

St John the Baptist is the patron saint of the Knights of Malta.

A Grand Master's Tomb

Floor Inlay

From Valletta, we bussed out to central Malta with intentions of visiting Rabat, Mdina and the Mosta Dome.  We eventually realised that visiting churches is off limits from Saturday afternoon until Monday mornings unless you are part of the congregation, so sadly missed seeing the famous Mosta Church Dome, a most unusually shaped church with its miraculous WWII experience.   

 

In Rabat, we easily found the Domus Romana Museum and villa remains.  Located directly opposite the bus terminus in Rabat, this small but interesting museum was our chance to see something of Malta’s time under Roman rule.  The Domus Romana was once a luxurious villa and the fine collection unearthed from the site gives an understanding of the lavish lifestyle led by its occupants.

 


Rabat also has a strong connection with early Christianity. St Paul, following his shipwreck off the coast of Malta in 60 AD, is said to have lived in a nearby grotto.  We managed to find St Paul’s catacombs, an ancient complex of burial chambers hewn out from soft rock.  The grounds were well signposted and supported with information on the central role these tombs played when Christians were persecuted by their Roman masters.

Is there a Saint David?

St Paul's Catacombs

Our tracks took us through the backstreets of small town Rabat.  A large but discreet crowd gathered at the town square to farewell an obviously respected community member.  Others lingered outside the Crystal Palace, just one of the many seedy village bars that seem to attracted older men for an afternoon chat and drink with friends.  Elvis tunes drifted over quiet evening streets.  “Look!” whispered the Cap’n, “That bloke looks just like Elvis.”  Had we indeed discovered the King’s secret hideaway?  Elvis was, quite naturally, camera shy...

 

With closing time of many sites & museums fast approaching we could only peer through the gates at the Mdina Citadel, Malta’s ancient capital, briefly. 

We had decided on skipping it, and the many and outlying temple sites (admission is included in the Heritage Pass but it is far better to travel by car than bus), and instead make our last day an excursion to Gozo Island.  There in Victoria, we would find another, and suitably impressive, Gran Castello to explore. 

Simply put, you can't do it all!