On Saturday, the public has the opportunity to discover some intriguing stories and historical facts of the capital city, Valletta through animated tours as part of Notte Bianca – Lejl Imdawwal activities.
Valletta during the Wars is one of the three different animated tours which are being offered free of charge. It will leave from St John’s Square at 7.30pm and at 10pm and will last approximately 90 minutes. In circa 1940, the excavation of reliable rock shelters was taken up seriously such that the authorities commenced a series of planned shelters or galleries, of which many were completed soon after the outbreak of hostilities. One of the intriguing places this tour will visit is the recently discovered shelter beneath the Parish Church of Saint Augustine.
Another animated tour is Ghosts of Valletta, which will depart from St John’s Square at 9.30pm, 10.30pm, 11.30pm and 12.30am. This 40-minute tour will depict the mysteries of the capital in a very intriguing manner. The tour Ghosts of Valletta is organised Celebrity Communications Ltd and Curtain Raiser.
The city built by the “Gentlemen for Gentlemen” is ample witness to prowess of the Knights. The two hour animated tour entitled Sex ‘n’ the City explores the different strategies employed by the three ruling bodies: The Order, The Inquisition and the Archbishop to control and rectify perpetrators. As a harbour town, Valletta was a natural abode for prostitution. The tour will take participants down the streets of the lower part of Valletta which have been pictured by many as a den of sin and sleaze. The tour will start at 9.45pm, 11.00pm, and 1am and will depart from St John’s Square.
The tour Art in Valletta, will also leave from St John’s Square at 8pm and 9.30pm. Valletta has many titles, all recalling its rich historical past. It is a “modern” city built by the Knights of St John, a masterpiece of the baroque, a European Art City, and a World Heritage City. Walking around Valletta, one will come across many intriguing historical sites around every corner from votive statues, niches, fountains to courtyards, gardens and squares.
Apart from the street tours, other places of interest are holding various guided tours within their premises. The Armoury at The Palace is holding tours at different intervals to show one of the world’s greatest arms collections housed in their original buildings and is one of the most valuable historic monuments of European culture. The 45-minute tour departs from the back door of The Palace in Merchants’ Street, and starts at 7pm, 8.15pm, 9.30pm, and 10.45pm. Entrance fee to The Armoury is at a minimal charge, while guided tours are free of charge.
St John’s co-Cathedral, one of the greatest artistic treasures of the Maltese islands, can be explored during a free 50-minute tour which starts at 7pm and another one at 10pm (departing from the main entrance). St John’s co-Cathedral is full of history, with vaults that relate episodes from the life of St John and the pavement which consists of multi-coloured tombstones which bear the names of European families which served within the Knights of St John.
A guided tour will also be held at the National Museum of Archaeology, which will allow visitors to view the exceptional display of artefacts from Malta’s unique prehistoric periods starting from the first arrival of man in the Ghar Dalam phase (5200 BC) and running up to the Tarxien phase (2500 BC). The tour, which will start at 7.15pm, 8.15pm, 9.15pm, and 10.15pm, is an excellent introduction and starting point to discover Malta’s fascinating pre-history. The tours start from near the main entrance at 7.15pm, 8.15pm, 9.15pm, and 10.15pm. Entrance fee to The National Museum of Archaeology is at a minimal charge, while guided tours are free of charge.