Meandering in Malta: St. Paul's Grotto

Malta is significant for Christianity, as the Bible states that Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked here, on his way to Rome. Hence, plenty of locations are associated with the name Paul in Malta, including this church and cave, popularly known as St. Paul's Grotto. It is now a museum, and is located in Rabat, just outside Mdina, in the middle of the island.



From the outside, it looks like a regular Baroque church. But in fact, visitors cannot enter the main entrance. Rather, the entrance is from the museum entrance across the street, which links the church and that building through a tunnel. The first thing one can see is the grotto, which is located underneath the church. It contains several burial places, which if I might guess, are containing important people in Maltese history.



A staircase leads into the back area of the church above the grotto. This is a small chapel, but rather beautifully done. It is rather quiet, because for some reason, not a lot of visitors come here. Perhaps they are all stuck in Mdina. Anyway, I had a good time exploring it, quietly and slowly. I am not sure how much truth there is in the tradition, but it is cool to know that Paul made this place important.