One of the finest cities in the south of Malta undoubtedly has to be Citta Vittoriosa, more popularly known as Il-Birgu. This ancient city, the pride and joy of the Maltese islands, has over the years been decorated with a sizeable amount of shining jewels – waiting to be discovered! Next Sunday, Heritage Malta shall be giving all young visitors the opportunity to visit three of these wonderful jewels for free including a guided tour of the historical Fort St Angelo which played a crucial role in the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. This is a unique opportunity that should not be missed. Read on to discover more interesting facts about these historical places.
Fort St Angelo is the most prominent building situated at the mouth of Vittoriosa creek. We do not know exactly when this monumental structure was built but it may date back to Roman times. When the Knights of St John arrived in Malta they chose to settle in Vittoriosa. Fort St Angelo survived the Turkish attacks during the 1565 Great Siege of Malta. Today, Heritage Malta is the agency responsible for this historic site and this is one of the first opportunities for youngsters and their families to walk within the walls of this important historic site.
The Inquisitor’s Palace is one of the well-preserved treasures adorning Vittoriosa and it is situated right at the heart of this magical city. The Palace was not built purposely for the inquisitor but originally it was used as law courts by the Order of St John soon after the Knights arrived in Malta in 1530. Some time later, the law courts moved to Valletta and so the Grand Master offered this Palace to Mgr Dusina so that he could use it as his official residence. One inquisitor after the other sought to improve and embellish this important building until they had managed to successfully transform it into a magnificent palace. On Sunday, musical group Gukulari Ensemble will be performing at the Inquisitor’s Palace. The musicians will be dressed in 18th century period costumes and will be playing throughout the afternoon.
Along the Birgu waterfront there is another historic building. Housed in the former British Naval Bakery, the Malta Maritime Museum outlines the island’s maritime history and strategic position at the heart of the Mediterranean Sea. The museum contains various interesting artifacts among them a collection of model ships, anchors, maps and colourful ship badges.
Visitors to this museum on Sunday will encounter re-enactors in period costume who will be re-enacting the way Maltese sailors used to live in the navy of the Knights. Are you curious to learn what they used to wear, what they used to eat and what type of arms they carried? So be at the Maritime Museum on Sunday in the afternoon and experience all this and much more.
Heritage Malta is also opening Hagar Qim Temples. This magnificent megalithic structure has been closed to the public for several weeks as works on the installation of two temporary shelters that will protect the buildings (Hagar Qim and Mnajdra) from erosion and weathering is being completed.
If you would like to learn more about what has been done so far and how the tents will be installed over the coming months, visit Hagar Qim anytime between 9am and 5pm and join a guided tour of the site. Children under the age of six enter free of charge whereas those between six and 12 pay e1 (Lm0.43c). Adults pay e2.5 (Lm1.93) and senior citizens and students pay e1.25 (Lm0.97c).
So why not join us next Sunday along with your family and friends on this wonderful voyage and discover for yourself the jewels of this ancient city. One multi-site ticket for Vittoriosa costs e7 (Lm3.01) for adults and senior citizens and e5 (Lm2.15) for Heritage Malta members. Children under the age of 16 enter free of charge. Guided tours in Maltese and English will be carried out at regular intervals. See you there!
Article provided by Heritage Malta