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The public gardens of San Anton, open to the
public since 1882, are laid out in a formal manner, with graceful walkways,
sculptures, ornamental ponds, families of ducks and swans, and a small
aviary. They contain a large variety of trees and flowers from around the
world, including a variety of palm trees, cypress, jacarandas, araucarias
and other exotic plants, some of them over three centuries old. For many
years it has been customary for visiting Heads of State to plant a tree in
memory of their stay in Malta. The gardens also contain an orangerie, and it
was once the practice of incumbent Governors to give baskets of oranges
grown in the palace gardens as gifts at Christmas time. |
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San Anton Palace Gardens Malta |
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San Anton Palace Gardens Malta |
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courtyard of San Anton Palace |
Bust of King George VI in San Anton Palace Gardens Malta |
The cat and the clock |
Shrine outside San Anton Palace Gardens Attard |
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Fountain in San Anton Palace Gardens Malta |
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Dingli |
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Dingli Cliffs |
Dingli cliffs and island |
As I understand it this island has been used
for target practice by bomber crews. |
Navigational Beacon and an airport approach system |
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Dingli relic |
Mansion near Dingli |
Dingli and Parish Church |
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Views around Dingli |
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Valletta seen from Dingli |
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Fort Rinella |
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Note the alert guard dog at Fort Rinella.
Fort Rinella is Malta’s liveliest museum where history comes to life daily.
Built in 1878, this fort is not only a unique remnant of Malta’s recent
British colonial past but it is also the world’s first mechanical fort which
enabled its small garrison to fire a monstrous 100-ton gun every six
minutes.
The British built the fort between 1878 and 1886, which stands above the
shore east of the mouth of Grand Harbour, between Fort Ricassoli and Fort St
Roca.
The fort is modest in size as it was designed to operate and protect the
single large gun, with its associated gun crew, magazines, bunkers, support
machinery and the detachment of troops stationed within the fort to defend
the installation. |
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The 100-ton gun was built by Sir William George Armstrong of Newcastle in
1878, originally to equip a new breed of Italian battleships. This caused a
stir with Britain which led to the same type of armament being obtained for
the safety of Malta and Gibraltar. This gun has a calibre of 17.72-inches
(45cm), is 35 feet long and has an overall weight of 156 tons making it the
world’s largest ever muzzle-loading cannon. It used a quarter of a ton of
gun powder to propel its monster shells up to a maximum range of eight
miles. At 3 miles range it could pierce 21-inches of armour! |
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Entrance to Fort Rinella |
Armstrong 100 ton gun at Fort Rinella |
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Statue at Lija |
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Statue of St Paul
at Lija |
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Marsaxlokk |
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Marsaxlokk, the most photographed Maltese village, is one of the oldest
ports in Malta. It’s name is derived from the words Mersa Sciroc, meaning
“port to the south-east” named by the Saracens during their occupation of
the Maltese islands from 870AD-1090AD.
Being a natural harbour Marsaxlokk has been used by the various inhabitants
of the Maltese islands. |
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Marsaxlokk harbour |
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Marsaxlokk harbour |
Boats at Marsaxlokk |
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Marsaxlokk Parish Church doorway |
Marsaxlokk Parish Church and buildings |
Marsaxlokk village street |
Duncan Bar Marsaxlokk |
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Marsaxlokk is Malta’s largest fishing village accommodating 250 registered
fishing vessels, these colourful boats come in a diverse range of shapes and
sizes ranging from the large modern “skuna”, the medium sized traditional
Maltese boat “luzzu” to the small “fregatina” (rowing boat). Despite the
different sizes and ages of the boats, all the boats are painted in the
traditional colours of yellow, blue and green, many of them have the “eyes
of Osiris” on the prow of the boat. |
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Boats at Marsaxlokk |
Nets and boats at Marsaxlokk |
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Marsaxlokk harbour |
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Must Have at Marsaxlokk |
Marsaxlokk village |
Shadows in street Marsaxlokk |
Colourful tree at Marsaxlokk |
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Mdina |
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Looking up towards Mdina |
Entrance to Mdina |
National Museum of Natural History Mdina entrance |
National Museum of Natural History Mdina quadrangle |
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National Museum of Natural History Mdina detail |
Building detail Mdina |
A
Mdina street |
Cathedral Mdina |
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Mdina square |
A
Mdina square |
A
Mdina walkway |
Archway to a walkway in Mdina |
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Mdina Cathedral Museum |
Looking out from Mdina |
Mdina Cathedral Museum courtyard |
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Mdina Cathedral interior of dome |
Mdina Cathedral interior |
Mdina Cathedral ceiling |
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A Mdina walkway |
Mdina street scene |
Window and stone erosion
Mdina |
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Mosta |
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Mosta boasts
the third largest unsupported dome in the World dedicated to the Assumption.
The church is also known as the Rotunda of St Marija Assunta.
The Rotunda was designed by George Grognet de Vasse, a French citizen but
resident in Mosta. Mosta residents, at that time totalling not more than
1500, built this spectacular church by their own hands. It took them 27
years to complete but the result is a tourist attraction of world standard.
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towards Mosta from Mdina |
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Church of St Mary at Mosta |
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| Interior of
Dome of Church of St Mary at Mosta |
On 9 April
1942, the church was nearly destroyed during World War 2. An Axis bomb
pierced the dome of the church, fell to the floor, zig-zagged across the
marble like but did not explode! |
Interior of
Church of St Mary at Mosta |
A Side street
in Mosta |
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Qawra |
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| Qawra Bay |
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Side street in
Qawra |
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Siggiewi |
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Nicholas Square Siggiewi |
Malta route buses in front of Church of the
beheading of St John Siggiewi |
A
Siggiewi building in St Nicholas Square. |
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St Nicholas Church, Siggiewi |
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A
side street in Siggiewi |
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St Julian's |
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Portomaso Hilton tower, St Julian's |
St Julian's |
Balluta Bay buildings |
Balluta Bay |
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Portomaso Hilton tower, St Julian's |
Fountains St Julian's |
St
Julian's church at Balluta |
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Cavalleri Hotel |
Boats in Spinola Bay |
Spinola Bay area of San Giljan |
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Spinola Bay, St Julian's |
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Spinola Bay area of San Giljan |
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Spinola Bay area of San Giljan |
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Valletta |
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decorated Valletta street |
A
door to St John's Co-Cathedral |
A
side street in Valletta |
Calendar clock Valletta |
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Balconies etc. over a Valletta street |
Italian decoration Valletta |
A
Church in Valletta |
Guns in Valletta |
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Valletta building |
Looking down a street to the sea, Valletta |
Bust of W.S.Churchill in Valletta |
A. Einstein plaque in Valletta |
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Children's' sculpture in Valletta |
Valletta waterfront |
Valletta harbour |
Ricasoli Fort |
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Valletta harbour |
Doorway in Valletta |
Clock through trees |
Fort St Elmo |
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Air Force memorial Valletta |
Air Force memorial Valletta |
Fountain in Valletta bus station |
Street violinist |
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This small church was the first to be built
in Valletta by the Order of St John. Initially it was a chapel dedicated to
Our Lady of Victory. the name was appropriately chosen to commemorate
Malta's triumph over a Turkish invading force during the Great Siege of
1565. Works began in 1567, and traditionally it is considered to be the site
where the first stone of the new city of Valletta was laid with
unprecedented pomp and the unbounded joy of the population on 28 March 1566. |
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Our Lady of Victory church served as the
first church of the Order in Valletta until 1577, when the Conventual Church
of St John was completed. Grand Master La Vallette was initially buried in
the former church. Upon completion of St. John's, his remains were moved to
their final resting place within the Co-Cathedral.
The church underwent modifications towards the end of the seventeenth
century and was remodelled once again in the mid eighteenth century. |
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Our Lady Of Victories church |
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Valletta side street with arch |
Ornate Valletta building facade |
Balconies etc |
Automatic dryer |
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Corner balcony Valletta |
Street lamp |
Is
your flag here ? |
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Looking towards Sliema |
Looking towards Sliema |
Across to Sliema |
Fort Ricasoli |
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Boat in the Grand Harbour |
Valletta Waterfront |
Lone angler |
Fort St Angelo |
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Steps up to Valletta Centre |
Towards Vittoriosa |
Towards Victoria Gate |
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Fort St Angelo |
Park gate |
Valletta |
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Interior of The Chapel dedicated to the Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt,
Waterfront Valletta |
Valletta Waterfront at night |
The Chapel dedicated to the Flight of the
Holy Family to Egypt, Waterfront Valletta |
Door to The Chapel dedicated to the Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt,
Waterfront Valletta |
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This church was built during the time of
Grandmaster Manoel Pinto de Fonseca in 1752. It formed part of the Pinto
Stores of the Grand Harbour, now called the Valletta Waterfront. The church
which was extensively damaged during an air raid on the 16th January 1941,
was restored in 1989.
The chapel is quite small, but it is very beautifully detailed . The style
of the façade is definitively Baroque, and it is carefully adapted not to be
dominated by the adjacent large warehouses façades. The architect, Andrea
Belli (Maltese, 1703-1772) has ensured that the narrow façade of this chapel
figuratively dominates the combined frontage by including all typical
elements of a larger domineering church façade such as the two bell towers,
imposing cornices and sumptuous baroque detailing. The cartouche and the
high window assembly in particular highlight the architect's finesse. |
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Ceiling of The Chapel dedicated to the Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt,
Waterfront Valletta |
Sacrestia Vault is a warehouse, which has
been converted to a small theatre and is now also a haven for those who
relish classic and sacred music, and other such cultural events. It is
connected to The Chapel dedicated to the Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt, |
Sacrestia Vault, Valletta Waterfront |
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Vittoriosa |
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Fort St. Angelo is the jewel in the crown of
The Maltese Islands’ military heritage. According to legend, the fort stands
on the site of a fortified Roman settlement.
When the Knights arrived on the Island in 1530, the Fort became the seat of
the Grand Master of the Order. It was to play a heroic role in the Great
Siege of 1565, when, against all odds, it managed to repel a formidable
Saracen armada. The epic resistance of the Knights during the three-month
siege gave the Fort its legendary status. In the 19th century, the British
took over the Fort and in 1912 it was officially listed as a ship, first as
HMS Egmont and then in1933 it was renamed HMS St. Angelo. More recently, the
Government granted the Order of the Knights of St. John the upper part of
the fort, comprising the magisterial palace and St. Anne's Chapel.
Vittoriosa, Malta on 29th November 2008. |
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Fort St Angelo |
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Vittoriosa Harbour |
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Vittoriosa building |
Cacti |
A
church in Valletta seen from Vittoriosa |
City Gate in Vittoriosa |
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Vittoriosa monument |
Vittoriosa harbour |
Vittoriosa monument |
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Rehabilitation of two
rooms and underground air raid shelter at Couvre’ Porte Gate, Vittoriosa and
conversion of complex into Homefront Museum. This project aims at
establishing in this premises a visitors’ experience dedicated to the long
years of ordeal endured by the Maltese nation during the Second World War.
Prominence will be given to the civilian dimension of the conflict in Malta.
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Air raid shelter Vittoriosa |
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Air raid shelter Vittoriosa |
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Air raid shelter Vittoriosa |
Air raid shelter bunk beds Vittoriosa |
Air raid shelter bathroom Vittoriosa |
Air raid shelter room Vittoriosa |
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Delivery suite in Air raid shelter Vittoriosa |
Gas masks etc in the Malta at War Exhibition |
First Aid kits etc at the Malta at War Exhibition. |
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Gozo |
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Zurrieq |
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The Blue Grotto, known as Il-Hnejja (meaning
'The Arch') in Maltese, was given its English name by a British soldier who
thought it similar enough to Grotta Azzuzza (The Blue grotto) in Capri to
deserve the same name. Located near Zurrieq in southwest Malta, an area
famous for its rocky coastline, the natural sea caves are very appealing.
The Blue Grotto is entered under an immense arch into a 140ft high cave cut
into the rock face. The system consists of six caves carved by years of
relentless pounding by the sea, of which the Blue Grotto is the largest and
most impressive. The water seems an impossible cobalt colour as the sky
reflects off the white sand bottom. The caves sparkle both with blue
reflections of the sea and orange, purple and green of the various minerals
present in the rocks.
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Blue Grotto |
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Blue Grotto |
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Cliffs near Zurrieq |
Cacti on cliff near Zurrieq |
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