To celebrate Medieval Mdina, between May 5 and 6, Heritage Malta will extend the opening hours of the National Museum of Natural History and the Domvs Romana at a heavily reduced combined ticket of €2.

The Domvs Romana, situated just outside the walls of the city of Mdina, does not only preserve some of the most precious Roman remains but also allows visitors to get a glimpse of life in a Roman domestic household. Visitors will also get the chance to view the polychrome mosaics that originally adorned the house’s peristyle and the surrounding rooms. These mosaics are regarded among the finest mosaics in the central Mediterranean.

The National Museum of Natural History is situated in Mdina in an 18th century palace, built by Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. In fact, this building is still known as Vilhena Palace. The current display areas in the museum cover various topics such as Maltese geology and palaeontology (fossils), small island habitats, marina fauna, insects, shells and birds, and other topics like human evolution.

The Medieval Mdina Festival will be organised in the streets of Mdina by the local council. During this two-day event there will be re-enactments by foreign and local groups, Medieval music, sbandieratori, illusionists, jesters, falconry and birds of prey, lectures, concerts, a Medieval market, Medieval kitchen and children’s area.

On both days, the museum and Domvs Romana will open between 9am and 6pm, last admission at 5.30pm. Both sites can be visited by a combined ticket of €2.

On Saturday, two guided tours of the remains behind the Domvs Romana will be held at 10.30am and 1.30pm. The number of participants is limited. Tickets for these tours are available from all Heritage Malta museums and sites and online for the price of €10 for adults, €9 for seniors and students and €8 for children and Heritage Malta members.

More information about Heritage Malta activities can be found on the agency’s website, www.heritagemalta.org