Monuments to visit Malta

The Saint Lucia Tower was built in 1610 under the reign of Alof de Wignacourt. Built according to the plans of the son of Gerolamo Cassar, Vittorio, it serves, four years later, to postpone a last Turkish attack.

Today, its heroic past forgotten, it now belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, which established the National Aquaculture Centre. On site, a large aquatic farm (closed to the public).

The Palazzo de Piro is an extension of the cathedral and is also a concentration of ancient tools used for centuries by Maltese craftsmen. You will have the opportunity to view an impressive collection of over 1,700 objects, each more unusual than the last. The museum is divided into 5 parts for better understanding; in fact the creators leave it to the imagination and discussion of the visitors by deliberately choosing not to give explanations.

One of the world's most impressive collections, with 5,000 items ranging from the ^16th to the ^18th century: armor, swords, daggers and weapons of all kinds. The room on the left contains crossbows, a few suits of armor, a cannon balance weighing up to 3 tons, as well as cannons and their cannonballs. Unusually, the cannonballs are larger than the calibers of their barrels. The room on the right is mainly devoted to armor, which became the property of the Order after the death of a knight. Complete suits of armor by several great masters can be admired, including that of Alof de Wignacourt and Jean Parisot de La Valette, founder of the city. Some are beautifully crafted; others bear the marks of battle.

Renovated old mill (1724) well worth a visit. It's the only one still in operation on the island.

These are the former prisons of the citadel, used between the ^16th century and 1904. In addition to the architecture typical of this type of place, you'll discover the inscriptions engraved on the walls by prisoners of different eras, including drawings of seagoing ships and handprints. It housed some notorious prisoners, including Jean Parisot de Valette, future Grand Master, who spent four months there in 1538 for assaulting a man.

Fully restored, it is now used as a library. Don't miss the opportunity to visit this magnificent residence, which was donated to the English language in May 1535 by Sir Clement. If you have the time, head up to the roof, not for the view but for the pleasure of climbing one of the old, narrow Maltese staircases.

This fort divides the district of Sliema into two distinct waterfronts: the first, which faces the ancient city of Valletta, and the second which faces the sea in the direction of St Julian's. A large shopping centre bearing this name has been integrated into the fortified historic point, which has been fitted out with luxurious accommodation and a pleasant promenade facing the old town. On the way, you will notice the small building of the former seawater distillery dating from 1881. It ends at the famous Dragut Point. During the Great Siege of 1565, it was here that the great Turkish chieftain (called Dargut) lost his life, wounded by a shrapnel, while he and his men tried to seize the Saint-Elme fort opposite, which was done three days after his death. In 1792, the French grandmaster Rohan-Polduc and his teammate, Knight De Tigné, reinforced the defence of this point by building the fort named after the knight. This will be the last great fort built by the knights. Doubling the cannons of Fort Saint-Elme, it provided an interesting crossfire for the defence of the port and the capital. During Napoleon's invasion of Malta, it will be one of the rare places of resistance, it will briefly serve as a garrison for the French forces before falling into the hands of Maltese insurgents. The guns of Fort Tigné were also used by the English to attack Valletta. When they left in 1979, it was used for a time as a desalination plant before being restored.

In the Maltese islands, it is one of the few surviving windmills dating back to the time of the Knights. On the other hand, the grinding mechanism of the Ta' Kola windmill was fully restored by Heritage Malta in 2016. This windmill is named after the last miller in charge, known as Żeppu ta' Kola, who single-handedly operated and maintained it with an admirable degree of diligence and ingenuity. And that almost to the last years of his life. Ġużeppi's exceptional skills as a millwright also proved extremely valuable when the islands experienced a fuel shortage during the Second World War, a period in which the steam mills were rendered inoperable. As demand grew for a constant supply of flour, Ġużeppi not only operated the windmill to grind grain for the local population, but also carried out repairs on a large number of cattle mills around Gozo, which had once again gained in popularity. Ġużeppi's legacy lives on in the windmill, which today houses an interesting display of vernacular furniture and a wide range of the handmade tools he used to maintain it. The Ta' Kola windmill is reached via Via Bambina, which faces a pretty little square characteristic of the island's typical small villages.

After much controversy, since its construction required EUR 90 million, this new Parliament was inaugurated in May 2015. Its façade features more than 7 000 blocks of ochre globigerine stone in harmony with the surrounding Baroque buildings, alternating with reflective mirrors that shine in the sun and help to regulate the building's energy consumption. After prior booking, you can discover the interior and complete the visit with the Museum of Maltese History and Political Development.

It is located in the old town of Birgu. It is a unique building that housed the Inquisitor and the Apostolic Delegate for over two centuries, as Malta presented a singular scene in which the Inquisitors assumed their dual role as supreme judges of the Holy Office and Apostolic Delegates representing the Vatican's interests in Malta. Between 1574 and 1798, this palace served as the perfect theater for an ecclesiastical diplomat, a sophisticated residence and a court with an austere penitentiary complex for the inquisitor. Today, it is the only inquisitor's palace still open to the public. The building's origins can be traced back to the Knights of the Order of St. John, who, when settling in Birgu, adapted the existing buildings to establish their administrative center, including the former Magna Curia Castellania, in the north-western quarter of the present site. Following the Order's move to the new city of Valletta, the Castellania passed to the Inquisition, triggering an organic growth that spread into adjacent buildings until it reached its current footprint in the 1650s. Various Inquisitors undertook embellishment projects to transform the building into a palazzo romano typical of the dignitaries of Baroque Rome. This culminated in a major project undertaken by Inquisitor Francesco Stoppani in 1733 and 1734 to plans by the resident high-Baroque architect Romano Carapecchia. From then on, the stage was set and subsequent changes were mainly associated with use brought in by the new residents. Administered by Heritage Malta, the site is both a historic house museum and a national museum of ethnography.
The current experience is constantly being improved, but one can still enjoy a walk through three distinct sections, the domestic space and kitchen on the first floor, and the piano nobile, which includes both formal rooms and private quarters spanning two floors. The third part of the visitor experience concerns the spaces belonging to the Holy Office itself, including the tribunal room, the torture chamber and the penitentiary complex. The museum experience is rounded off by an emphasis on an outreach program packed with events and educational sessions, themselves linked to the religious ethnographic exhibits.

The university looked after the importation of wheat and its distribution according to the needs of the city. Built in 1538, this building will place the seat of the university until the conquest of Malta by the British.

Built in 1531, he is the first hospital run by the knights. In 1652 it was given to the Benedictine people who still occupy it today. The chapel of the Order of the Order, of which Lorenzo Gafà drew up the plans in 1672, has an altar painted by Mattia Preti. Do not confuse this hospital, with the Sacra Infermeria in Valletta, built in 1604 and became the Mediterranean conference centre.

It's home to the world's biggest cannon! In fact, one of two 100-ton cannons built by the British army; the second is in Gibraltar.

With its 10 m length and 44 cm calibre, the machine could send a one-ton projectile over 5 km and pierce up to 50 cm of armour. The tour includes a look at the warehouses where these giant "munitions" are stored, and an explanation of how the cannon is loaded.

Shaped like a pentagon, Fort Rinella was built between 1878 and 1886 and dismantled in 1906. It is one of the many forts built in Malta under Queen Victoria in the ^19th century to reinforce Malta's defenses.

Every afternoon at 2.30pm, a historical re-enactment brings the cannon and its Victorian garrison to life. A museum has been set up inside the fort, featuring military costumes and period furniture.

On the peninsula behind Kalkara and opposite Fort Saint-Elme stands Fort Ricasoli, which played an important role during the Great Siege (the great battle against the Turks in 1565).

Designed by military architect Maurizio Valperga, its construction was financed by Italian master Giovanni Francesco Ricasoli (hence the fort's name). Grandmaster N. Cottoner then had the Saint-Nicolas chapel built in the courtyard. Its altar is decorated by Mattia Preti.

The fort was subsequently extended and strengthened according to the needs of the time.

During the ^19th century, the English built numerous casemates, installed modern cannons and barracks for their soldiers. In 1870, the fort was defended by 700 men and 100 artillery pieces. It also played an important role during the Second World War, coming under frequent German attack. Bombs destroyed the Canonniers' house and the Baroque gate.

After the war, the fort became a barracks. Today, it is used as an oil terminal; hence the view of the dumps and the smell of fuel oil. To the right, on the other hand, you come to the forts of Saint-Rocco and Rinella, from which you can see the sea.

This ambitious project, long cherished by Gozitans, bears the name of the only person who was willing to finance it in the ^18th century. After the invasion of 1551 and the Great Siege of 1565, which led to the decision to build Valletta, the inhabitants of Gozo felt the need to have a port fortress on their territory capable of defending them, like the new capital of the neighboring island. The knights were not averse to this project, which also concerned their security. However, the project was abandoned, unsuccessfully re-examined a century later, and finally adopted in the ^mid-18th century, when the coffers were empty and the knights' glory was in full decline. It was a military man, Admiral Jacques de Chambray, who provided the funds for this major undertaking, completed in 1761. The admiral was given the title of governor of Gozo, but the fort had little opportunity to shine, resisting Napoleonic troops for some time before becoming English. It was later converted into an asylum. Long empty and unused, it is now being completely restored.

Today, in addition to rehabilitation and restoration, new residential buildings have been built in keeping with the fort's architecture. Regrettably, this somewhat diminishes the massive, defensive aspect of the whole.

Near the Ggantija Temple in Temples Street, this stone circle, also known as the Xaghra Hypogeum, is a Neolithic burial complex. It consists of a series of caves that were used to bury the dead, surrounded by a fortified enclosure. Discovered at the end of the 18th century, it was forgotten, re-buried and rediscovered in 1964. This circular alignment of megalithic stones was once more than 120 m long. Today, the remains extend over about 25 m and some stones are more than 2 m high.

This is the residence of chaplains during the reign of the Order. They, often councillors of great masters and knights, have the role of writing correspondence and treaties.

Located rue de la Tour Saint-Jean, it has experienced many uses: it served as a warehouse, a hospital and a military district during the British period. It is located close to the two major defensive towers, the Saint James Tower and the Saint John Tower. From the terrace of the Saint James Tower, you will have a superb view of the nearby village Kalkara and Fort Ricasoli.

Without special interest, this door at the centre of the roundabout is the main curiosity of the city. Built in 1798, it bears the name of the last great master of Malta. The city pays tribute to its benefactor.

Still along the road from the capital to Mdina, you'll no doubt notice the Wignacourt aqueduct. When Valletta was built in the ^16th century, it was realized that the drinking water supplied by the only usable spring (near the Grand Harbour) would soon be insufficient. So, in 1601, Grand Master Adolf de Wignacourt decided to bring water from the many springs in the hills around Mdina to Valletta. In 1610, the first project was an underground aqueduct as far as Attard, but the problems associated with the terrain soon proved insurmountable. Between Balzan and Hamrun, therefore, an overhead construction was preferred, consisting of a stone conduit mounted on arches, which can still be seen today. From Hamrun to the capital, water was once again transported underground. On August 21, 1615, Adolf de Wignacourt inaugurated the first fountain in Valletta. Another was also built in Floriana.

The original center of the village, around the church of St. George, served as a residence for the knights and has preserved some fine old houses, including the Palazzo Stagno. Built in 1589 for the Stagno family of Sicilian origin, it was mainly occupied by knights of the Order. Superb moldings around the windows, beautifully crafted facade, all in a rather orthodox, Maltese style, rather inspired by the Spanish colonial styles of Peru or Mexico, as the English architect Quentin Hughe would say about it.

You will notice the beautiful, finely carved columns still standing and the stairs at the entrance of the former "Opera House". Built in 1866 in a neoclassical style by the English architect Edward Middleton Barry (known for the Covent Garden Theatre in London), it was almost completely disintegrated under German bombs during the Second World War. Without altering the site, an open-air amphitheatre was redeveloped. Named Pjazza Teatru Rjal (Royal Theatre Square) and inaugurated in August 2013. It hosts many performances.