A Day In Valletta
Today we took a very short ferry ride across the water from our base in Sliema to Valletta, the capital city of Malta:
… And boy, did it rain when we arrived!
The locals had warned us about the rains in Malta, especially in October; when it pours, it really pours. No kidding.
St. George’s Square
Post-rainstorm and post-lunch, our first stop was St. George’s Square. Saint George’s Square is the principal urban square of Valletta, located in the centre of the city. It is also commonly known as Palace Square as it faces the Grandmaster’s Palace (the Office of the President of Malta). A variety of ceremonies, exhibitions, flower festivals, and musical events are regularly held within the square. The monthly Changing of the Guard ceremony also happens here:
The Grandmaster’s Palace
On one side of St. George’s Square sits The Grandmaster’s Palace. The Palace currently houses the Office of the President of Malta. It was also the seat of the Parliament of Malta from 1921 to 2015. Inside the building, the Palace State Rooms and the Palace Armoury are open to the public as a museum run by Heritage Malta. It was quite tight security getting in to view the Palace, but it was certainly worth it:
The Armoury in the Grandmaster’s Palace
The Armoury in the Grandmaster’s Palace is a museum with one of the world’s largest collections of arms and armour. It was the main armoury of the Order of St. John from the 17th and 18th centuries and includes suits of armour, cannons, firearms, and swords, such as the personal armour of some Grand Masters (a Grand Master is the head of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta).
The collection showcases the military history of the Knights of Malta against the Ottoman Empire and has been open to the public since 1860:
Palace Rooms & Hallways
Memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia
At the foot of the Great Siege Monument opposite the Law Courts in Valletta, there is a makeshift memorial to a woman named Daphne Caruana Galizia:
Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese writer, journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist who reported on political events in Malta. Caruana Galizia focused on investigative journalism, reporting on government corruption, nepotism, patronage, and allegations of money laundering, links between Malta’s online gambling industry and organized crime, Malta’s citizenship-by-investment scheme, and payments from the government of Azerbaijan. Her national and international reputation was built on her regular reporting of misconduct by Maltese politicians and politically exposed persons.
Despite intimidation and threats, libel suits and other lawsuits, Caruana Galizia continued to publish articles for decades. She was arrested by the Malta Police Force on two occasions. Caruana Galizia’s investigations were published via her personal blog Running Commentary, which she set up in 2008. She was a regular columnist with The Sunday Times of Malta and later The Malta Independent. Her blog consisted of investigative reporting and commentary, some of which was regarded as personal attacks on individuals, leading to a series of legal battles. In 2016 and 2017, she revealed controversially sensitive information and allegations relating to a number of Maltese politicians and the Panama Papers scandal.
On October 16, 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated close to her home when a car bomb was detonated inside her vehicle.
Tritons’ Fountain
The Tritons’ Fountain is located in Floriana, which is adjacent to Valletta. The fountain consists of three bronze Tritons holding up a large basin, balanced on a concentric base built out of concrete and clad in 730 tons of travertine slabs. The fountain is one of Malta’s most important Modernist landmarks, designed and constructed between 1952 and 1959:
Street Scenes
Various interesting things we spotted when wondering around Valletta:
Sunset In Valletta
Night falls early in Malta, and we suddenly found the sunset upon us. The time had come to find the Valletta ferry docks and head back to our home base in Sliema. On the way we were blessed with a glorious sunset:
I definitely see European and Middle Eastern influence. Looks lovely.
You have found such a unique destination. It looks absolutely fabulous. I confess. I’m more than a little jealous.
I can certainly see European and Middle Eastern influences.
Such beautiful pictures! I recently watched a video about Malta and was instantly captivated by its charm. The crystal-clear blue waters, ancient limestone cities, and stunning coastal cliffs make it look like a dream destination. I’m seriously thinking of visiting one day — it seems like the perfect mix of history, culture, and Mediterranean beauty. Thanks for sharing your experience; it truly inspired me to add Malta to my travel list!
Beautiful sunset photos and a lovely historical city. I was taken with the staircase photo, and I think that might be their new parliament/legislature, which is fairly interesting. Always cool to see newer parliament buildings, as they are rare.
[…] corruption for a living and in the end paid the ultimate price: she was assassinated (see my Day 1 post and this article for a little more info on this). If you’d like to read a little more on how […]