Domus Romana

The Domus Romana (Heritage Malta spells it Domvs Romana) stands just outside the walls of Mdina, on the edge of Rabat. It preserves what is left of a Roman aristocrat's town house in ancient Melite, the city that once covered both today's Mdina and part of Rabat. Little of the walls survives, but the intricate mosaic floors are the reason to come, above all the Sosos dove motif on the central emblema of the peristyle courtyard.

The site was discovered by accident in 1881. Heritage Malta notes that it then received the first purpose-built structure in the Maltese Islands meant to protect an archaeological site, and the museum officially opened in 1882. It closed during the Second World War, when it served as a small restoration centre, and reopened in 1945. The museum building with its 1920s portico now displays marble statuary found on the site, including a bust of Claudia Antonia, daughter of the Emperor Claudius, along with other finds from Roman Malta.

Practical details

As of November 2026, Heritage Malta lists tickets at EUR 6 for adults, EUR 4.50 for seniors (60+), youths (12 to 17) and students, EUR 3 for children aged 6 to 11, and free for infants. From 1 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 it opens Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00 and is closed on Mondays; last admission is 30 minutes before closing. It also closes on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. The nearest bus stop is about two minutes away on foot.

• The museum is compact: an hour is usually enough.
• The Mdina main gate and St Paul's Cathedral are a short walk uphill.
• Continue into Rabat for the St Paul's Catacombs, which cover the same Roman city from below ground.

Plan it for a Tuesday to Sunday if you are doing Mdina in one day, since the Monday closure catches many visitors out. The National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta covers the prehistoric story that comes before it.