Domvs Romana

What makes it special

This compact archaeological museum stands beside the ditch of Mdina, built over part of an elite Roman townhouse from ancient Melite. The house dates back to the 1st century BC.

Very little of the building itself was recovered. Its intricate mosaics and other artefacts did survive, and they show how rich the dwelling once was.

The collection reaches beyond this one house. Most of the Roman artefacts and antiquities found in the area were moved here, including the few remaining marble pieces that once lay scattered in the streets of Mdina.

Alongside the household finds, the display also sets out the complex history of the site itself, so the building and its excavation are part of what you see.

Visiting

Inside, the display takes you through a single Roman aristocratic family and its home, one theme at a time.

It starts with how roles were divided within the family, then turns to fashion and education. Entertainment comes next, and the last part covers food and drink.

Give the mosaic floors as long as the panels. They sit between the themed sections, and a quick pass through the displays alone misses the reason the museum was built here.

The address is Museum Esplanade, Rabat, the one to give a taxi or type into a map app.

Tips

Pair this stop with St Paul's Catacombs, also in Rabat. Mdina and Rabat share a bus stop, so Rabat is easy to mistake for a car park and skip.

Budget a real two hours for the catacombs and this museum together, not a quarter of an hour squeezed in on the way out of Mdina.