About Us

In 1460, Fra Peter Zurki and two Dominicans from the Reformed Sicilian Province of B. Jeremias (Fra Andrea de Morisea and Fra Pietro de Platea) who had arrived in the 1450s had already taken up residence in a Rabat priory then under construction adjoining the existing church. Both were completed by 1505. A 1466 decree exists by which the Bishops of Malta Anton de Alagona O.S.B. and John Paternò, together with the Canons of the Cathedral Chapter, gave the friars plots of land in the neigbourhood of the church and priory of Our Lady of the Grotto.

This manuscript is one of the exciting exhibits found in a newly inaugurated museum housed within the priory cloister and which is one of five newly refurbished halls forming part of an integrated pastoral and cultural centre. Visitors to the priory may tour the museum as well as an audio-visual hall which offers a full-immersion experience guided by a spectacular documentary screened on to the walls of the hall which now serve as massive canvasses of colour and form. The priory halls are now open to the public during the day all week.

The Dominican priory at Rabat was built on the site of a cave where about the year 1400 the Blessed Virgin is said to have appeared to a hunter. A detailed account of this apparition is found in the old records of the priory written by the Dominican historian, Francesco Azzopardo (1626-1682). The first volume of his 'Storia delle Tre Conventi' has been restored by Dr. Theresa Zammit Lupi and is now a prize exhibit in this museum. The museum is thus designed to offer a snapshot of the rich variety of aspects that have characterised the life of the Community up and down the centuries.

One area displays a number of pottery artefacts dating from pre-Christian times. It was only after the Punic Wars were fought between 264-146 B.C. that the Carthaginians were subdued and Rome took control of Malta. The Islands became, in fact, a free municipium, or free town under the Romans. The pottery that is exhibited dates from both the Punic as well as the Roman era and was discovered in the area beneath the Priory. Gian Francesco Abela, in his book 'Descrittione di Malta' (1647) says that the Marian grotto in our church formed an integral part of the catacombs or cemetery of Our Lady of the Grotto. In the middle of the 19th century, several ancient tombs were found containing Punic and Roman remains, a few of which are exhibited in this museum.

The vessels on display belong to pot types that are typical of goods placed in Phoenician and Punic tombs. These pots were purposely placed by the mourners inside the tombs, together with other personal possessions, as part of ancient burial customs. These include large storage jars or amphoras, plates and bowls for foodstuffs, jugs and cups for liquid, lamps for light, and jars and juglets for scented oils and perfumes. All were meant to be used by the dead in the afterlife. The Community is grateful to Prof. Nicholas Vella and Dr. Maxine Anastasi, both from the Archaeology Department at the University of Malta, for their expert guidance in identifying and selecting these objects for display.

The showcases revolve around the progression of Christian life, in particular, maturity through the practise of the Sacraments. Thus, a late medieval Baptismal font dating from before 1500, donated by Petrus Bercaxi, welcomes the visitor, since Baptism is the ‘door to Christian life’. The culmination is the Eucharist, which is the personal as well as mystical presence of Jesus Christ. For this important reason, the large and gilded Eucharistic monstrance is housed at the centre of the back wall facing the entrance to the Museum.

It was the illustrious medieval historian, fr. Michael Fsadni OP, who established that by 1450 the Dominicans had arrived in Rabat from Sicily. This Museum proudly contains the priceless manuscripts related to the bequeathing of the land to the Dominicans including one 1512 manuscript autographed by King Ferdinand of Spain vouching to give such material support and land to the newly founded “Monasterio B. M. de la Gruta”.

Paintings of St. Thomas Aquinas and one dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus venerated by the Dominicans, both by Maltese artist Francesco Zahra (1710-1773) adorn the museum walls. In addition to a few smaller paintings by the same artist depicting the Holy Archangels, one may also appreciate items related to the domestic life of the Community that has lived on these premises for centuries, ranging from artisan tools to other utensils related to food preparation and consumption.

The breath-taking space of the cloister never fails to stir even those who are well-acquainted with the place. Giant columns and massive arches create grandeur and harmony. Yet the Dominicans are friars, not monks. This exciting paradox of an apparently monastic yet intensely missionary lifestyle is vividly discussed in the audio-visual documentary that is shown in the hall adjacent to the museum. A 13-minute excursus deftly wizzes the visitor across a span of eight centuries testifying to the stubborn relevance of this fascinating phenomenon known as the Order of Preachers.