Mdina Gate is the ceremonial entrance to the Silent City, built in 1724 under Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena in the French Baroque style. The architect Charles François de Mondion designed a structure that manages to be both imposing and welcoming: a carved limestone arch flanked by pilasters and decorated with the arms of Vilhena and the city itself, approached over a short bridge across what was once the defensive ditch.
The gate replaced an earlier medieval entrance during Vilhena's comprehensive renovation of Mdina, which also produced the Palazzo Vilhena and much of the city's current character. Walking through it today you step from a busy tourist street into narrow limestone alleys that seem almost entirely empty — the transition is abrupt and rather wonderful.
The gate is listed as a Grade 1 national monument and featured on historical Maltese currency. It is best photographed from the plaza outside, where the full facade can be seen without obstruction.