It is not unreasonable to describe St Paul’s Grotto in Rabat as Malta’s most sacred location – at least if you are of the Christian persuasion.
Certainly this humble cave is held in such esteem in the Christian world at large that the last two Popes who came to Malta (Benedict and John Paul) both paid a visit to this shrine.
The grotto is located beneath St Paul’s Church in Rabat, and for a mere five euros you can walk in the footsteps of the pontiffs, and of St Paul himself of course. According to legend, this is where Paul stayed for three months after his ship foundered on the Northern Maltese coast, and from where he spread the word of Christianity to the Maltese population.
Your ticket to the Grotto also allows you access to a section of the labyrinthine catacombs spread beneath the cities of Mdina and Rabat.
The catacombs were used first by the Phoenicians, and later the Romans, as an underground cemetery up until around the 4th century AD. Unusually for such places, the bodies of Christians, Pagans and Jews were interred next to one another for centuries. By about the 12th century the catacombs were a place of pilgrimage for Christians, and they were rediscovered and unearthed by archaeologists 600 years later.
When Malta was suffering aerial bombardments during World War 2, the catacombs served as air raid shelters for the people, and you can see the numbered caves which were hollowed out for that purpose.
It’s an interesting experience to wander through the narrow tunnels, although perhaps the larger or more claustrophobic tourist may prefer alternative attractions.
Christian visitors will definitely want to make a pilgrimage to St Paul’s grotto, but everyone with an interest in the past will get something from a visit here.
The Grotto and attached catacombs/shelters are open 7 days a week, from 9 to 5pm.
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Really cool 🙂 I’m visiting the Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni when I visit Malta in July 🙂 Have you been there?
Yes the Hypogeum is one of the best sites on the island, if you ask me. We visited a couple of years ago: http://www.howtomalta.com/2012/01/hypogeum-older-than-the-pyramids.html