2 Best Sights in Mdina and Rabat, Malta

The Romans arrived in Malta on their way to Carthage and swept across the island in 218 BC, finding little resistance from the Carthaginians. This house, built for a Roman aristocrat, dates from the late 1st century BC and is one of the only substantial finds from an era when Mdina was known as Melite. It was discovered by accident in 1881 by workers, though a good portion of its grounds was lost to over-zealous road-building by the British services. What survives are some spectacular mosaics and the only set of marble statues portraying Emperor Claudius and his family.

This monastery of Benedictine nuns opened its doors to visitors for the first time in more than 500 years in 2023. Established in 1445, it is the oldest female monastery in Malta and has expanded over the years to occupy an entire block in Mdina. At its peak, it held just 50 cloistered women; now just the Mother Abbess lives here. Visitors are granted access to just a fraction of the complex; print-out guides direct you around the refectory, kitchen, and dormitories of a pair of novice houses that include an exquisitely frescoed chapel. There's little in the way of other information, but it's a fascinating glimpse into the domestic day-to-day lives of these women.