Mdina, Carmelite priory

Abstract

Constructed between 1660 and 1675, the priory and its adjoining church were designed by the French military engineer Mederico Blondel des Croisettes. Notably, the church was the first in Malta to be built with an elliptical plan, marking a significant development in Maltese Baroque architecture. Throughout its history, the priory has played a pivotal role in Mdina's religious landscape. During the French occupation in 1798, the church was stripped of its silver and precious hangings, events that contributed to the Maltese uprising against French rule. Additionally, following the 1693 earthquake that damaged the Mdina Cathedral, the Cathedral Chapter temporarily relocated to the Carmelite Church until the new cathedral was consecrated in 1702. [excerpt]