Getting Married in Mdina and Central Malta
A walled medieval hilltop town in central Malta, quiet once the day visitors leave. Mdina is known as the Silent City: a walled medieval town on a limestone ridge in the middle of Malta, with a very small permanent population. It was the island's capital for most of its history, until the Knights of St John founded Valletta in 1571. Because the old city was left intact, it has barely changed in five centuries, and its bastions, baroque palaces and cathedral square create a stillness unusual in the Mediterranean.
A walled medieval hilltop town in central Malta, quiet once the day visitors leave
Weddings here centre on a palace hotel inside the walls, converted from a seventeenth-century palazzo, with terrace views across the island. A registered civil celebrant can perform the legal ceremony there.
Central Malta adds Palazzo Parisio at Naxxar and the presidential gardens of San Anton at Attard. The Mosta Rotunda, a parish church with one of the largest unsupported domes in Europe, suits a guest outing: a bomb fell through the dome in 1942 and did not explode.
Where to Get Married in Mdina and Central Malta
Mdina walled city
The Silent City sits behind a baroque main gate from 1724. Inside are the Cathedral of St. Paul, Palazzo Vilhena, Palazzo Falson and Palazzo de Piro, and the bastions look over the whole island to the sea on both coasts.
Rabat
The town just outside the gate, with the remains of a first-century Roman townhouse, early Christian catacombs and many of the island's traditional rabbit restaurants.
Attard and San Anton
Attard holds San Anton Palace, the President's official residence, whose formal gardens open to the public on selected days. Villa Bologna, a country house with a working pottery, is also here.
Naxxar
A hilltop town with a baroque parish church and a small square. Palazzo Parisio and its gardens make a complete private palace wedding venue.
When to marry, and what to arrange
The season
When to Get Married
Mdina suits any month. The golden limestone walls hold the winter sun and glow at dusk, and in summer the streets fall still in the evening once day visitors leave. For small ceremonies, winter and the shoulder months are preferable for atmosphere and privacy, since winter evenings are close to deserted after dark.
Recommended wedding months
April-June and October-November
Peak season is July-August (Mdina is quieter than Valletta in summer: the resident population is tiny and day-visitor numbers are lower than at the coastal resorts), and the shoulder months are December-March (Mdina in winter is almost entirely deserted after dark).
Settings, travel and stays
Choosing a Setting
Palace hotel. A seventeenth-century palazzo turned small hotel inside the walls, with a rooftop pool and a restaurant on the top floor. A registered civil celebrant can perform legal ceremonies there, and few Malta venues match its intimacy or position.
Historic palazzo (private event hire). Palazzo de Piro, a baroque palazzo inside the walls, is let for private events through a specialist operator. Palazzo Falson, a fifteenth-century house now a museum, opens for private evening events after closing.
Country house estate. Villa Bologna at Attard and a restored farmhouse hotel near Naxxar offer gardens and outdoor ceremony options in a Mediterranean country-house setting.
Presidential gardens. The formal gardens at San Anton Palace can be hired privately by special application through the President's office. It needs a formal application and a long lead, and gives a formal garden setting.
Getting There
Malta's only airport is close to Mdina by car, and all of the island is within a short drive of it.
Malta International Airport (MLA). Served year-round by several UK carriers. The palace hotel is the only hotel inside the walls, reached through the gate beside Rabat.
Where Guests Stay
Stays in Mdina centre almost entirely on one palace hotel, and the surrounding towns offer larger hotels.
Inside the walled city. The only hotel within Mdina's walls, in a converted palazzo, with a rooftop pool and views across the island.
Naxxar farmhouse hotel. A boutique hotel in a restored farmhouse with gardens and a pool, quieter and more rural, suited to small parties.
Attard, San Anton area. A large five-star hotel with full facilities, the best choice for big parties needing many rooms.
Inside the palace at Naxxar. Villa rooms in the 1733 baroque palace, let on an exclusive-hire basis.
Good to know
Food and Drink
Eating in Mdina divides between the palace hotel's rooftop restaurant and the traditional restaurants around the gate at Rabat.
The rooftop restaurant. The palace hotel's kitchen serves refined Maltese and Mediterranean dishes on a terrace with views across the island, with a wine list that includes Maltese producers.
Fenek (rabbit) in Rabat. Rabat's restaurants are the established place for rabbit braised in red wine and garlic. The Sunday lunch tradition has run for generations and suits a group lunch on the wedding weekend.
Pastizzi. A bakery in Rabat open at all hours serves hot ricotta and pea pastizzi from the oven, in a plain café where generations of Maltese grew up eating.
Good to Know
Cars and the city gate. By day only residents and hotel guests may drive into Mdina. Arrival by car at the palace hotel needs arrangement with the hotel, and for a wedding, drop-off at the gate can be agreed as part of event planning.
The Mdina Medieval Festival. Usually held in late April or early May, the festival fills the squares with costumed performance, jousting and period music. It can add a backdrop to a pre-wedding programme, and dates should be checked each year.
The Mosta Rotunda. The church is an active parish and is not normally available for non-Catholic weddings, but a visit suits any central Malta itinerary.
The view from the bastions. From the western and southern bastions both coastlines are visible on a clear day. The view is best at dusk, when the limestone turns gold. It is free and needs no planning.
Marrying legally and entry rules
The legal requirements for marrying here, and who needs a visa, are being checked and are not published yet. Confirm both with the official authority that will marry you before you book.
Planners, photographers, florists and musicians who work in Mdina and Central Malta
When is the Silent City atmosphere at its best?
Once the day-visitor coaches leave, the narrow streets fall quiet. Winter evenings are the most extreme, with few visitors and walls lit gold by streetlights. Summer evenings are warm, with a little more activity early on.
Is Palazzo Parisio close to Mdina?
Yes. It stands at Naxxar, a short drive away, and is described in more detail in the Valletta guide.
What is the top-floor restaurant, and does it suit a private dinner?
It is the palace hotel's main restaurant, with panoramic terrace views, cooking refined Maltese and Mediterranean dishes from local ingredients. It suits a private dinner well.
Where do guests stay for a wedding in Mdina?
Stays in Mdina centre almost entirely on one palace hotel, and the surrounding towns offer larger hotels. It is the only hotel within Mdina's walls, in a converted palazzo, with a rooftop pool and views across the island. In the Attard and San Anton area, a large five-star hotel with full facilities is the best choice for big parties needing many rooms.
What kinds of wedding venue are there around Mdina?
There is a palace hotel, a seventeenth-century palazzo turned small hotel inside the walls, and historic palazzos such as Palazzo de Piro and Palazzo Falson. Villa Bologna at Attard and a restored farmhouse hotel near Naxxar offer gardens and outdoor ceremony options in a Mediterranean country-house setting. The formal gardens at San Anton Palace can be hired privately by special application through the President's office.
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How We Compiled This Guide
This guide draws on the venues' own published details, official sources and the knowledge of our editors. Entry and legal information can change, so confirm it with the authority that will marry you before you book.