St Paul's Cathedral stands at the heart of Mdina and has dominated the city's skyline since its rebuilding in Baroque style between 1697 and 1703. The architect Lorenzo Gafà chose a Latin cross plan with a high central dome, and the warm limestone exterior glows amber in the afternoon sun. The facade is relatively restrained for the period, which makes the interior's richness all the more striking.
Inside, the marble floor is literally paved with the tombstones of the Knights of Malta and local nobility — over three hundred of them, each bearing an inlaid portrait or coat of arms. The paintings by Mattia Preti on the vaulted ceiling are among the finest in Malta, depicting scenes from the life of St Paul, the apostle said to have been shipwrecked on the island in 60 AD. The sacristy holds a wooden crucifix believed to have been carried by the Knights at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.
The cathedral is free to enter and can be visited most mornings. The attached Cathedral Museum, reached through a separate entrance, is worth the small admission fee.