Mdina Gate , Mdina, Malta,
Photo: Alexandros Daskalakis
Mdina Gate (Maltese: Il-Bieb tal-Imdina), also known as the Main Gate or the Vilhena Gate, is the main gate into the fortified city of Mdina, Malta. It was built in the Baroque style in 1724 to designs of Charles François de Mondion, during the magistracy of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena.
The Mdina Gate consists of a Baroque portal and a superstructure serving as a gatehouse. The portal is decorated with double pilasters, the coats of arms of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena and the city of Mdina, a trophy of arms and a Latin inscription reading:
ANTIQUISSIMÆ HUJUS URBIS, QUAM PATRES DIXERE NOTABILEM,
INSULÆ METROPOLEOS,
QUÆ DIVI PAULI PROVIDO NAUFRAGIO FIDEM EDOCTA
PRIMUM PRÆSULEM DIVUM PUBLIUM PATRITIUM HABUIT,
D: ANT: MANOEL DE VILHENA M: M:, EGREGIUS, ET PIISSIMUS PRINCEPS;
IN HONOREM APOSTOLI EJUSQ.' DISCIPULI, AMOREM, ET TUTELAM POPULI;
MUNIMENTA PENÉ COLLAPSA RESTAURAVIT, ET AUXIT.
ANNO SAL: MDCCXXIV. PRINCIPATUS SUI III.
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, Μάλτα,
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