Things to see and do Birgu – Citta Vittoriosa

This was the order's first conventual church, before the construction of St. John's co-cathedral. It stands on the site of a church built in 1090, during the reign of Roger ^I of Sicily.

With the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530, it was enlarged, but burned down two years later. When the knights settled in Valletta in 1571, it became the church of the Inquisitors.

The present ^17th-century building was designed by Lorenzo Gafà.

Although the building suffered during the 1939-1945 war, it has been well restored. The façade features statues of St. Paul and St. Lorenzo, while the interior features paintings by Paladini. Above the altar is Mattia Preti'sMartyrdom of St. Lawrence, the largest painting he ever did. Saint Lawrence is celebrated on August 10.

This museum was devoted to the life of the Maltese during the Second World War during which the bombing was particularly deadly on the island. It is housed in a British military bunkhouse in the th century in the city walls. Completely renovated, it has seen its collections in 9 galleries, each dedicated to a period of war, bringing together 10 000 objects, weapons, etc. You will discover an exhibition of military objects and daily daily life. You can also browse the parts and tunnels (a veritable 1 km labyrinth) dug by hand by men, women, but also children and old people. Hundreds of people réfugiaient when the bombs fell. You will learn how they were dug and installed (aeration system, etc.) and the life they were driving (objects, back-back sounds).

Built on a mound at the tip of the Birgu peninsula, this fortress dominates the Grand Harbour. A strategic position identified as far back as Antiquity, particularly after the Phoenicians colonized the area in the first millennium BC, who, according to legend, built a complex dedicated to Astarte, followed later by a Roman complex dedicated to Juno. But it was during the Middle Ages that the Castrum Maris (seaside castle) was built, consisting of two enclosures, to protect the interests of the foreign crown in the Maltese islands. After 1530, the Order of St. John radically transformed Castrum Maris, naming it Fort St. Angelo and making it its headquarters, which also served as the residence of the Grand Master between 1530 and 1558. The former medieval castle was transformed into a gunpowder fortress by the construction of a series of artillery platforms, which enabled it to play a major role in the great siege of 1565. In 1690, Fort St Angelo took on its current appearance as a stronghold capable of defending the coast. Under British rule, it became a Royal Navy shore establishment from 1912 to 1979, and was renamed HMS St Angelo in 1933. The tour not only reveals its history through exhibits, but also allows you to visualize the different architectural styles of this monument. And, of course, you can take in the panoramic view of the Grand Port and surrounding fortified towns.

Sold in Birgu by knights, they are bought by individuals who turn their structures into residences. You will notice that strangely a house was built in the middle of the facade, leaving the side sides visible.

Recent studies have made it possible to update architectural elements dating back to a bygone era to knights, such as a Byzantine tile.

France has three languages represented in Birgu, with the Auberge de France, the Auberge de Provence and the Auberge d'Auvergne, all located in the Collachio district. The Auberge de France is one of the most beautiful in Birgu, with an elaborately decorated façade attributed to the architect Bartholomeo Menga.

The vestibule of this residence is modest in size, but its ceiling is Renaissance, and you'll reach a loggia via an attractive staircase. On the main door, you can see the original fleur-de-lys emblem.

After the knights left for Valletta, the inn became private property, then was used as a communal school at the start of the English occupation, then as a carpentry workshop, until it was finally declared state property.

During the Second World War, the Auberge de France in Valletta was destroyed, leaving the one in Birgu as the only Auberge de France in Malta. In 1980, a museum of political history was installed here. It failed to attract much interest and is now closed. The hostel now houses the local Council and hosts occasional thematic and art exhibitions.

The streets of Birgu are those of a Neapolitan village, with laundry hanging in the windows and a lively local life. Tourists are discreet. The town is also known for its inns. The first mention of these inns dates back to 1490 when the Order was still in Rhodes. When the Order arrived in Malta, it was in Birgu (or Vittoriosa) that it settled, finding houses that were easy to convert into inns for their various languages.

Calle de la Tramuntana (Triq it-Tramuntana) is a small street perpendicular to Calle Tabone that houses a building in the Sicilian-Norman style (or Chiaramonte) at number 11. Another building in the same style, The House of the Castellan, is located in the Fort St. Angelo.

The central square, Victory Square, has its small bars, its pastizzeria and its Band Club, the St. Lawrence. The latter is housed in a beautiful typical house with a carved wooden balcony, and its library is decorated with Maltese furniture. For the locals, this square is known as "Il-Pjazza". Its white statue of St. Lawrence dates from 1880. The Victory Monument, erected in 1705 under the Grand Master Perellos y Roccaful, commemorates the victory of the Great Siege of 1565. A stone crucifix recalls executions prior to the 16th century. The St. Lawrence Band Club is a building with an imposing facade that contains a musical archive. On October¹, the Birgu festival takes place in the square, and people parade in costume. On Easter Sunday, a statue of the Risen Jesus is carried through the streets... running.

Behind the Victory monument begins Saint Anthony Street, a Jewish ghetto dating from before the arrival of the Knights. From Victory Square, signs indicate the direction of the various Knights' inns, more or less well preserved (France, Provence, Auvergne, Castile and Portugal, England). Separated according to their language, they were grouped in a district called "Il Collachio", reserved for the Knights.

Opposite the oratory of St. Joseph, the oratory of the Holy Crucifix dates from 1721. The last battle of the Great Siege of 1565 took place in this small square; the ground was used as a burial ground for the victims. You can then walk down the steps to St. Lawrence Church, the largest in Birgu, which overlooks Dockyard Creek.

On the docks stands the church of Senglea. On the large mound planted with prickly pear trees, the bronze soldiers of the Freedom Monument commemorate the departure of the last British soldiers (31 March 1979).

Led by the Dominican brothers, it is built on the site of a th century church. Completely destroyed during the war, it was rebuilt in 1960. Saint-Dominique, celebrated on the second Sunday in August, is one of the most important celebrations of Birgu.

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.

Since its reopening on February 9, 2024, it has been presenting a temporary exhibition that will be on view for a year. Entitled Une île à la croisée des chemins (An island at the crossroads ), it aims to shed light on the identity of this island nation over the centuries. The exhibition includes a year-long program of activities: conferences, events on the history of taste, educational programs for children... You'll even have the chance to spend a night inside the Maritime Museum, as it is spread throughout the museum. In fact, after several years of closure, which led to substantial restoration and revitalization of the museum, partly financed by EEE Norway grants, you'll once again be able to contemplate all the museum's riches. The story told by this museum is based on a series of eclectic objects, all indelibly linked to the history of Malta. And each telling the story of how religions, cultures and nations have clashed or even coexisted on a rock, a surrounding sea, and an ever-smaller world. We'll discover how an existing anchorage from Roman antiquity is linked to the local faith and cultural memory of the community, how the lives of men and women in Malta depended mainly on privateer incursions, their activities portrayed in local folk tales, and how, in the last century, the search for a state was accompanied by great economic anxiety.

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.

Near the square, you can stop off at St. Joseph's Oratory, an ^18th-century chapel run by two charming pensioners. La Valette is said to have come here to pray just before the Great Siege. Here you can see his battle sword and hat. This fighting sword should not be confused with the jeweled sword offered by Philip II of Spain as a reward for his courage, now on display in the Louvre. In the oratory, you'll find a portrait of La Valette, attributed to one of Caravaggio's pupils. The master may have made a few alterations.

Still in the oratory, enthusiasts will find ex-votos, religious paintings, cherubs, crucifixes, bells, as well as candlesticks that once belonged to the Order, the flags of the various inns and letters from knights written to their mothers asking for money! You'll also be interested in a card game dating back to 1609, with which the knights played on the galleys. Very long silver scissors enabled the priest to bring plague victims to communion without having to go near them. Magnificent flags from the old inns are also on display.

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.

In the street of the same name (part of Victory Square), this church, built in 1651, then enlarged and expanded in 1779, was severely damaged in 1940. It will be restored in 1949.

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.

The Three Cities tour is a real phenomenon. It's easy to see why: you climb aboard an electric golf cart limited to 20 km/h, and the tour of the Three Cities on quiet roads begins. Guided by a voice-activated GPS in French along a pre-planned route, you'll learn all about the history, cultural points of interest and recommended stopping points. If you take a wrong turn, a Minion will call out in song; children will love it. Photos can be taken at any time along the way. Complimentary bottle of water.