Valletta, Malta + Add a trip

St John's Co-Cathedral is probably the most beautiful baroque monument in the whole Mediterranean region due to it's majestic interior richness, it also houses one of the most influential chiaro scuro paintings, the "Beheading of St. John" painted by the Master himself Caravaggio.

Designed by Girolamo Cassar but later remodelled under Grand Master di Pinto, Auberge de Castille, situated in Castille Place, is one of the finest architectural works in Malta, as evidenced by its spectacular façade.

Finely proportioned and strictly symmetrical, the building was badly damaged during World War II but was later carefully restored. The building now houses the office of the Prime Minister.

The National Museum of Archaeology currently houses a spectacular range of artefacts dating back to Malta’s Neolithic period; from the Għar Dalam phase (5200 BC) up to the Tarxien phase (2500 BC). On display at this museum are the earliest tools used by the prehistoric people to facilitate their daily tasks; representations of animal life and also human figures, both elements showing the great artistic skills of the dwellers of the island at the time also giving us an insight on their daily lives. Highlights include the ‘Sleeping Lady’ from the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, the ‘Venus of Malta’ from Ħaġar Qim and the large altars from the Tarxien Temples. The National Museum of Archaeology presents the visitor with a good introduction to the prehistory of the Maltese Islands and is the catalyst to the other archaeological sites in Malta. Works are currently undergoing to include the Bronze Age, Phoenician, Punic, Roman and Byzantine period displays on the Upper Floor.

The National War Museum is located in the building known as the old Drill Hall of Lower Fort St Elmo, Valletta. The museum’s collection on display focuses on the two World Wars (1914-18 and 1939-45).

It recounts the story of the events which led to the two wars, their development and major actions, and also their consequences, locally and abroad. Special reference is made to the role of Malta in the theatre of war and the contribution of the Maltese population to the war effort, especially during the incredibly difficult conditions of 1942.

The tour ends with the memorial dedicated to those who sacrificed themselves for Malta’s freedom.

The State Rooms are the show piece of the Presidential Palace sited at the heart of Malta’s World Heritage Capital city of Valletta. The Palace itself was one of the first buildings in the new city of Valletta founded by Grandmaster Jean Parisot de La Vallette in 1566 a few months after the successful outcome of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. The Palace was enlarged and developed by successive Grandmasters to serve as their official residence. Later, during the British period, it served as the Governor’s Palace and was the seat of Malta’s first constitutional parliament in 1921. The palace today is the seat of the Office of the President of the Republic and the House of Parliament.