St. Paul – Scripture, Folklore and Archaeology Heritage Trail

Heritage Malta will be organising a heritage trail including visits to St Paul’s Catacombs and San Pawl Milqi on Sunday 10th February, the feast of St Paul’s Shipwreck. This heritage trail links writings in the Gospels, folklore and archaeological evidence regarding St Paul, who considerably influenced Malta’s culture and heritage.

The tour will commence with a visit to St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat. This complex of interconnected, underground Roman cemeteries was in use up to the 4th Century AD. It represents the earliest and largest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta. The catacombs were purposely built in this location, on the outskirts of the old Roman capital Melite, as Roman law prohibited burials within the city.

After a short coffee break at the National Museum of Natural History in Mdina, the tour will proceed with a visit to San Pawl Milqi in Burmarrad. San Pawl Milqi was excavated in the 1960s by the Italian Missione Archeologica, uncovering a Roman villa and an industrial olive pressing farm. During the 17th century, Christian traditions encouraged by the Knights of St John by means of the building of a chapel, established this area as a major religious site.

Tickets for this event, priced at €12 for adults and €10 for members, are available from all Heritage Malta’s museums and sites in Malta and Gozo. Participants are to group in front of the MEPA headquarters in St Francis Ravelin Street Floriana at 09.00hrs. Transport back to Floriana will be provided at the end of the tour at circa 13.30hrs.

For further information please call Heritage Malta on 23954242 or 79734490.