Valletta Points of Interest Travel Tips - Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Manoel Theatre was built in Valletta in 1731 as a Court Theatre. Opening a year later it was named after the financier Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. In 1969 the theatre was restored and is now known to be one of the oldest theatres still in use today. Manoel Theatre is open Monday to Saturday showing performances of Opera, dance, drama and musical concerts in both English and Maltese. The booking office is open Monday to Friday in the mornings from 10.00am to 12.00pm and in the evenings from 5.00pm to 7.00pm and on Saturdays 10.00am to 12.00pm only. There are also guided tours available in Italian, English and French in the mornings only.

Presidents' Palace: In the centre of Malta's capital in Palace Square proudly stands the Presidents' Palace. It was built in 1571 by the plans of Maltese architect Girolmu Cassar and completed in 1580. The Grand Masters of the Order of St. John used it as their main seat of office until their departure in 1798. In 1814 it was used by the British Governors and later up to this day hold the island's Parliament and the President's Offices. The Palace has two courtyards. The larger of the two is Neptune Court in which you pass by to reach the Armoury, which is open to the public. Inside is a superb collection of weapons and armour, which were used during the 16th and 18th centuries. These include gold plated suits of armour worn by the French Grand Master Aloph de Wignacourt, Jean Jacques de Verdelin, Grand Master la Valette and Grand Master Martino Garzes dating back to 1615. The Armoury also has an extraordinary display of guns, swords, daggers and other weapons. As well as the Armoury, the public are invited to see the rooms and corridors also once used by the Knights.

The National Library - Bibliotheca: The National Library and the statue of Queen Victoria Completed in 1796 and built by the design of Stefano Ittar the National Library was finally open to the public in 1812. Inside the Library there are a number of priceless collections including books and newspapers dating back to 1830. You can also see archives that used to belong to the Order of St. John's "Universita" (local governing council) and documents that were those of the Knights dating back to the 11th century showing their nobility which was needed before their acceptance as a member of the Order.

Casa Rocca Piccola: Casa Rocca Piccola in Republic Street was originally built for the Italian langue of the Knights in around 1580. In 1784 it was bought by a Maltese noble family and is the only historic house open to the public. On display are costumes and collections of the de Piro family that normally are not available fo public viewing. Ballgowns, uniforms, wedding dresses, court dress, spectacles, walking sticks, pipes, medals and silverware. Inside the Casa Rocca Piccola you can see some of the finest Maltese furniture and surgical instruments which were once used by the Knights during the 16th century. Guided tours take place during the week except Sundays and public holidays.

National Museum of Fine Arts: This eighteenth century palace in South Street, Valletta was once the home of the Royal Navy's commander in chief and known as Admiralty House. In World War II it was the residence of Lord Mountbatten of Burma, the commander of the British Mediterranean fleet. Now a museum, it holds a wonderful collection of paintings including the work by Mattia Preti whose Maltese masterpiece was the ceiling of St John's Co-Cathedral. Other artists include Perugino, Carpaccio, Domenico di Michelino, Antoine Le Valentin, Guido Reni, and Antoine de Favray.

War Museum: The War Museum is situated at the end of Republic Street at Fort St. Elmo, now also the Malta Police Academy. Here you can see pictures showing the extent of the destruction of Malta and it's long term suffering. The museums main exhibit is the George Cross, which was awarded to Malta by King Charles VI in World War II. Other exhibits include a section of a wrecked aircraft and a collection of torpedoes and anti-tank guns.

St John's Co-Cathedral Museum: Situated in St. John's Square, Valletta you can see this magnificent building designed by Girolmu Cassar in 1573. The museum of St. John's houses one of the most important pieces of art recognized by critics all over the world as the painting of the 17th century, the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. The famous masterpiece by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio can be seen in the Oratory adjoining the cathedral. A set of 28 Flemish tapestries based on designs by Peter Paul Rubens and Nicolas Poussin can also be seen here in the museum. The tapestries depicting scenes from the life of Christ were woven between 1697 and 1700 in the weaving mills of the French King Louis XIV.

St John's Co-Cathedral: St. John's Co-Cathedral is situated inside the capital city centre of St. Johns Square, Valletta. It was built in the 1573 by the Maltese Architect Girolmu Cassar. When the Church was completed in 1577 it was used by the Knights of the Order of St. John as their conventual church. It is one of the greatest and most important monuments in Malta. One of the towers has a three faced clock, one showing the hour of the day, another the day of the week and the other the date of the month. The interior was re-designed a century later by the Italian artist Mattia Preti. On the ceiling of this fabulous cathedral is the oil painting by Mattia Preti. Preti's masterpiece depicts 18 episodes in the life of St. John the Baptist. The flooring is of coloured marble slabs beneath which lie the Grand Masters of the European families who served with the Order of St. John. The church also houses two canvases by the famous Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio and the famous beheading of St. John the Baptist.