Several mosaics were found, as well as Roman sculptures and other artefacts which turned out to be the remains of a Roman aristocratic home just outside the walls of Mdina, now one of the most visited touristic attractions on the island – but which is also of great interest to those who live in Malta and are studying the Roman period on the island.

It is rare that construction contributes positively to the preservation of Malta’s heritage, but on the 3rd of February 1881, a Public Works employee digging in the area known as it-Tomba, outside Mdina, unearthed a splendid mosaic pavement. Architect Luigi Emanuele Galizia, head of Public Works, investigated and the public was so excited by the finds that a policeman had to be called in to guard the remains.

We now know that the Domus Romana was a townhouse rather than a country villa, and indeed it fell within the old Roman walls of Mdina – called Melite at the time – which extended much further into Rabat than they do now. A Roman domus like this one was not just a home but would serve as a meeting place and play an important role in the powerful owner’s business and political life.

Some time after the initial finding was made, a building was erected to protect the discovered mosaics, sculptures, and other objects discovered and therefore over the peristyle and surrounding rooms of the Roman house. In this way, the first museum in Malta built specifically for the purpose was inaugurated in 1882.