Wignacourt College in Rabat — a museum with Mattia Preti collections, papal shoes, and a sedan chair. Underground corridors connect to the catacombs beneath Rabat.
Wignacourt College stands right next to St. Paul's Basilica in Rabat, directly above St. Paul's Grotto and the catacombs. The building was commissioned by Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt as a priests' college and hospice for pilgrims visiting the Apostle's dwelling place. It is one of the oldest buildings in Rabat, with sections dating to the 16th century.
Today Wignacourt College is a museum of sacred and historical art. The collections include baroque paintings by Mattia Preti (the Calabrian painter and Knight of the Order), a portable travelling altar, liturgical vestments, silver ex-votos, and — surprising many tourists — papal shoes belonging to one of the popes. There is also a sedan chair used by Maltese aristocracy to travel through the narrow streets of Mdina and Rabat.
Beneath the building run corridors connecting to the catacombs — an underground labyrinth of tombs from Roman and early Christian times. Part of the corridors is open to visitors and makes a fascinating complement to visits to the grotto and basilica.
Practical tip: Entry EUR 5. Right next to St. Paul's Basilica in Rabat — combine both visits. Don't miss the underground corridors.
Right next to St. Paul's Basilica. Entry: 5 EUR.
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St. Paul's Basilica in Rabat stands above the grotto where, according to tradition, the Apostle Paul lived after his shipwreck in Malta in 60 AD. One of the oldest places of worship on the island.
Pastizzi for 50 cents — the best in all of Malta. Squire Wojtek ordered ten. The only place to receive a 5/5 rating.
St. Paul's Catacombs in Rabat are Malta's largest underground cemetery from 3rd-4th c. AD. Over 1,000 tombs in 2,000 sq m. Agape tables for funerary feasts, shared by Christians, Jews, and pagans.