Works of art to see Malta

The main gate of Mdina was rebuilt in 1724, a few metres from the old one. On the pediment, the arms are those of the great master António Manoel de Vilhena. It was at this door that the University welcomed each new Grand Master, asking him to reconfirm the preservation of Mdina's rights and freedoms before handing him the keys to the city. In front of Main Gate, you will find kiosks, a children's park, toilets (open during the day), the bus terminal and the Howard Gardens where you can rest in the shade of the orange trees.

Renovated old mill (1724) well worth a visit. It's the only one still in operation on the island.

In the Maltese islands, it is one of the few surviving windmills dating back to the time of the Knights. On the other hand, the grinding mechanism of the Ta' Kola windmill was fully restored by Heritage Malta in 2016. This windmill is named after the last miller in charge, known as Żeppu ta' Kola, who single-handedly operated and maintained it with an admirable degree of diligence and ingenuity. And that almost to the last years of his life. Ġużeppi's exceptional skills as a millwright also proved extremely valuable when the islands experienced a fuel shortage during the Second World War, a period in which the steam mills were rendered inoperable. As demand grew for a constant supply of flour, Ġużeppi not only operated the windmill to grind grain for the local population, but also carried out repairs on a large number of cattle mills around Gozo, which had once again gained in popularity. Ġużeppi's legacy lives on in the windmill, which today houses an interesting display of vernacular furniture and a wide range of the handmade tools he used to maintain it. The Ta' Kola windmill is reached via Via Bambina, which faces a pretty little square characteristic of the island's typical small villages.

Still along the road from the capital to Mdina, you'll no doubt notice the Wignacourt aqueduct. When Valletta was built in the ^16th century, it was realized that the drinking water supplied by the only usable spring (near the Grand Harbour) would soon be insufficient. So, in 1601, Grand Master Adolf de Wignacourt decided to bring water from the many springs in the hills around Mdina to Valletta. In 1610, the first project was an underground aqueduct as far as Attard, but the problems associated with the terrain soon proved insurmountable. Between Balzan and Hamrun, therefore, an overhead construction was preferred, consisting of a stone conduit mounted on arches, which can still be seen today. From Hamrun to the capital, water was once again transported underground. On August 21, 1615, Adolf de Wignacourt inaugurated the first fountain in Valletta. Another was also built in Floriana.