Storia dello stemma e del comune
 .tb-image{position:relative;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.wp-block-image .tb-image.aligncenter{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.tb-image img{max-width:100%;height:auto;width:auto;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image{display:table}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image .tb-image-caption{display:table-caption;caption-side:bottom} .wp-block-image.tb-image[data-toolset-blocks-image="acc8a12542240a666526b6dc27e1557b"] { max-width: 100%; } .tb-image{position:relative;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.wp-block-image .tb-image.aligncenter{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.tb-image img{max-width:100%;height:auto;width:auto;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image{display:table}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image .tb-image-caption{display:table-caption;caption-side:bottom} .wp-block-image.tb-image[data-toolset-blocks-image="fdf5b24dfbe370789cf5a3d303b1ad61"] { width: 70px;max-width: 100%; } .wp-block-image.tb-image[data-toolset-blocks-image="fdf5b24dfbe370789cf5a3d303b1ad61"] img { border: 0px solid rgba( 219, 219, 219, 1 );height: 70px; } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.5fr) minmax(0, 0.5fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; } .tb-container .tb-container-inner{width:100%;margin:0 auto} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-container.tb-container[data-toolset-blocks-container="d2bb3dacfb52575d15c48483c05e8464"] { padding: 0px;box-shadow: 5px 5px 10px 0 rgba( 0, 0, 0, 0.5 );border: 1px solid rgba( 0, 0, 0, 1 ); } @media only screen and (max-width: 781px) {  .tb-image{position:relative;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.wp-block-image .tb-image.aligncenter{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.tb-image img{max-width:100%;height:auto;width:auto;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image{display:table}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image .tb-image-caption{display:table-caption;caption-side:bottom}.tb-image{position:relative;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.wp-block-image .tb-image.aligncenter{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.tb-image img{max-width:100%;height:auto;width:auto;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image{display:table}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image .tb-image-caption{display:table-caption;caption-side:bottom}.tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.5fr) minmax(0, 0.5fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; } .tb-container .tb-container-inner{width:100%;margin:0 auto} } @media only screen and (max-width: 599px) {  .tb-image{position:relative;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.wp-block-image .tb-image.aligncenter{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.tb-image img{max-width:100%;height:auto;width:auto;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image{display:table}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image .tb-image-caption{display:table-caption;caption-side:bottom}.tb-image{position:relative;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.wp-block-image .tb-image.aligncenter{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto}.tb-image img{max-width:100%;height:auto;width:auto;transition:transform 0.25s ease}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image{display:table}.tb-image .tb-image-caption-fit-to-image .tb-image-caption{display:table-caption;caption-side:bottom}.tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"]  > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(1n+1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; } .tb-container .tb-container-inner{width:100%;margin:0 auto} } 
Mdina (in maltese L-imdina, in italiano La Notabile) è l’antica capitale dell’isola di Malta e deve il nome agli arabi che ridenominarono così la città di Melita nell’870, antico municipium romano, sorto sulle fondamenta della precedente città fenicia, costruita sul punto più elevato dell’isola intorno al 1000 a.C.
I musulmani la fortificarono con alte mura e la separarono dalla vicina Rabat.
È conosciuta anche come Medina, la “Città Vecchia” o la “Città Silenziosa” (Il-Belt is-Sieket in maltese) e, come tutte le città maltesi, porta il titolo di “Città Notabile”.
Il titolo di “Città Notabile” (Ciudad Notable) venne conferito da Alfonso “il Magnanimo” con diploma del 20 giugno 1428, quando riunì Malta e Gozo alla Corona d’Aragona di Sicilia.
Ebbe il ruolo di capitale fino al 1530, quando papa Clemente VII e l’imperatore Carlo V concessero l’isola ai Cavalieri Ospitalieri di San Giovanni, esuli dall’isola di Rodi, che stabilirono la sede a Birgiu.
Nel 1693 un terribile terremoto distrusse molti degli edifici di Mdina, i cui restauri vennero finanziati dal Gran Maestro António Manoel de Vilhena (1663-1736), su disegno di Charles-François de Mondion, mentre la cattedrale di San Paolo venne progettata dal maltese Lorenzo Gafà (nato a Vittoriosa nel 1638).
Negli “Atti degli Apostoli” (At. 28:1) si legge che, nel 60 d.C., l’apostolo San Paolo, in viaggio verso Roma, fu costretto a rifugiarsi in questi luoghi per ben tre mesi a causa di un naufragio. La basilica di San Paolo e oggi la sede della Diocesi metropolitana (per questo la chiesa di San Giovanni Battista della Valletta è “con-cattedrale”).
Lo stemma della città è un semplice scudo “partito d’argento e di rosso” (in inglese: “per pale argent and gules”), i colori blasonici dell’Ordine dei Cavalieri Ospitalieri (che alzano uno scudo “di rosso alla croce d’argento”). Da questo deriva lo stemma nazionale.
Nota di Massimo Ghirardi e Ivan Vassallo