The Priory and Convent of St. Dominic, located adjacent to the Church of St. Dominic and the Blessed Virgin in Rabat, Malta, represents a site of considerable historical, religious, and cultural significance that remains relatively under-recognized within mainstream tourism.
Founded by the Dominican Order, a Catholic monastic order established in the early thirteenth century by St. Dominic and approved by papal authority, the Dominican presence in Malta dates back to around 1450, when friars arriving from Sicily settled near a grotto traditionally associated with an apparition of the Virgin Mary. With financial support from the Maltese authorities, private benefactors, and the King of Spain, construction of the priory began in 1457, followed by the laying of the foundations of the Church of Our Lady of the Grotto in 1466. Although the complex was completed in the early sixteenth century, it later suffered extensive damage during the Ottoman occupation, when it was converted into a fortified position against Mdina. Subsequent reconstruction beginning in 1630 shaped the convent into its current form, characterized by elements of medieval fortification, a spacious courtyard with gardens and fountains, an arched colonnade, and historic sundials, including one dating to 1717.
In recent decades, St. Dominic’s Convent has gained renewed international attention as a major pilgrimage destination due to a marble statue of the Virgin Mary reported to have shed tears of blood beginning in 1999. Following years of scientific examination and theological debate, and after Vatican recognition of the phenomenon, the statue was placed behind protective glass and made accessible to the public within the Church of Our Lady of the Grotto, which remains freely open to visitors. This event has significantly reshaped the religious and social relevance of the site, drawing pilgrims from across the world and reinforcing Rabat’s role as a locus of contemporary devotional practice intertwined with deep historical roots.
Alongside its religious importance, the area surrounding St. Dominic’s Convent is now the focus of innovative sustainability-oriented urban regeneration through the GiFluid project, funded under the Interreg Italy–Malta programme. With an allocation of approximately €1 million to the Rabat Local Council, the project is implemented through a transnational partnership involving the Water and Energy Agency, the University of Catania, the Regional Council of Sicily, and the municipality of Aci Castello. The initiative aims to enhance water-use efficiency, strengthen local infrastructure, and mitigate flood risk through nature-based and green urban solutions. Planned interventions include the transformation of St. Dominic’s Square into a multifunctional recreational space, the construction of rainwater harvesting reservoirs, and the development of a roof garden at the National Centre for the Conservation of Water, which already functions as an educational hub for water awareness. Framed as a pilot model for integrated water management and flood-risk analysis, the GiFluid project reflects broader national and regional strategies for sustainable development, institutional cooperation, and youth engagement, positioning Rabat as a testing ground for environmentally resilient and socially inclusive urban practices.
See here the photos of the redevelopment and ongoing works
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