National Museum of Natural History, Mdina

The National Museum of Natural History, established in 1973, is situated in Mdina in an 18th century palace, restructured by Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, with plans by Charles Francois de Mondion in 1726. Vilhena Palace was designed in Parisian Baroque style, substituting the original building of the medieval University.

The main responsibility of the museum is the acquisition, collection and conservation of natural history material, with importance given to local biota.

The display areas in the museum cover various topics such as Maltese Geology and Palaeontology; various aspects of Malta’s wildlife, including birds of the Maltese cliff habitat; the ecological importance of the islands of Filfla, Fungus Rock, St. Paul’s and Comino; and a special hall dedicated to minerals, based on the collection of Lewis Mizzi.