Mansions and private mansions to visit Valletta

This XVI century mansion was inhabited by the ninth marquis of Piro and his family. During the time of the knights, the residence was attached to the Italian language inn. It bears the name of its first owner, Don Pietro La Rocca, admiral of the Order of St. John. Today, it is the Marquise de Piro herself who gives a one-hour tour of the place.

The staircase. The two vertical paintings, The Invention of the Electric Light Bulb and The Mechanization of the Wheat Industry, were painted by Ramiro Raffaele Cali for Antonio Cassar Torregiani, the only industrialist to have lived in Casa Rocca Piccola.

The chapel, dating back to the ancestors of the Marquis, has an altarpiece painted by Pietro Paolo Caruana and showing the Virgin and Child venerated by Saint Gaetano. The treasure of the chapel includes some very beautiful pieces, donated by Popes Pius IX and Leo XII.

The room of the canopy bed. The canopy bed is that of the great-grandmother of the Marquis Orsola Agius Caruana. She gave birth to nine children here.

The green room. You will notice some picturesque details in the portraits: the little girl wearing a red bracelet for superstition, with mountains in the background, symbols of Sicily, because in Malta there are no mountains! You will also see the invitations for the coronations of George VI and Elizabeth II.

The library, with several paintings and portraits, including the watercolor of Louisa, daughter of the Marquis.

The Porphyry Room is named for its mural which imitates... porphyry (a volcanic stone). Its sixteenth-century beamed ceiling is the only one in the house that has remained intact. In this room there are several portraits of the Piro ancestors.

In the blue room, note a series of surgical instruments on the table. The blue room is also the television room (look carefully behind the panels).

The summer dining room makes you want to settle down and put the napkin on your lap, waiting for the gala meal suggested by a beautifully set table.

The Chinese room: several small vinaigrettes and other objects displayed in the Chinese showcase.

The archive room: a large collection of the family's historical documents is displayed here. They were recently organized by an Italian doctoral student.

The air raid shelters: in order to protect themselves from the bombings during the Second World War (Valletta was one of the hardest hit cities), the Piro's transformed their two wells into air raid shelters.

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.