Valletta Off The Beaten Path

Briefly, the 'Green Man' is a pre-Christian symbol of fertility and new life which has been around for millennia. He is a male face, always shown either peering out through leaves or with leaves growing from his face and mouth.

Like many pre-Christian symbols, customs and sacred sites he was absorbed into Christianity (I have seen him referred to as 'the god of lies' ) as it spread throughout Europe.

But those pre-Christian ideas and symbols still remained in the culture and in people's minds.

In the UK, you will almost always find a Green Man carving somewhere in any Medieval church. They are usually pretty well hidden. I think a 'blind eye' was turned to the stonemasons incorporating him into their carvings, but it woud not have been acceptable for him to be too obviously displayed.

It was only fairly recently that I realised he also appeared in mainland Europe.

And yes, he's in Malta too. In this case, inside St John's Co-cathedral. Well-hidden, again, amongst the intricately-carved wall decorations. But he is there (see photo).

You may be able to spot him when you visit the cathedral...or there may be more Green Men there that I missed.

There are harbour cruises around Valletta with beautifuk views of the city itself as well as The Three Cities.

Captain Morgan Cruises
c/o Captain Morgan Leisure Ltd.
Dolphin Court, Tigne Seafront, Sliema, Malta.
- Fax: (+356) 2346 3344

This company offers more cruises to Comino, around Malta island, etc.

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The International Maritime Organization's Law Institute is loceted in Msida area near Valletta, Malta. It is situated within the Malta University.

The IMO International Maritime Law Institute was established under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization, a specialised agency of the United Nations.

The Institute is an international centre for the training of specialists in maritime law. It also contributes to the development and dissemination of knowledge and expertise in international maritime law, with special reference to the international regulations and procedures for safety and efficiency of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution.

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The National Parliament of Malta is situated in Valletta - Malta capital city. It is located in central pedestrian street - Republica street.

The Parliament very much looks like museum, there are numerous old precious paintings on the walls, tapistries and other artifacts, and the most impressive are old knight suits.

The only problem to reach this spot is a restriction at the entrance. Normally the entry is not allowed if you aren't an employee or a Member of Parliament.

Portes des Bombes which was built in 1721 by Grand Master Perellos is called after two huge stone bombs at each side of the gate, which originally were placed atop of the gate. An inscription on one of the doors says "While fighting the Turks everywhere, I'll live in this place so Safe".
Strictly speaking this 'Gate' is in Floriana not Valletta. You can't miss it unless you enter Valletta by a cruise ship or using the side streets from Marsa or Pieta.

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On the corner of St John's Street and Merchants street (at the beginning of the market stalls), you'll notice a big iron hook. This hook has got two stories behind it. It could be either / or / or both. Some say that the hook was placed in there so that the bells of St John's Cathedral would be hoisted to the belfry and others say that peolple condemned of a conviction were suspended in cages above the hook. Both make sense cause in those days the Courts of law were housed in the Castellania, same building just round the corner, and the Cathedral is across the street.

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Valletta is small, but yet there is so much to discover. The big attractions alone could take you plenty of time ... and these narrow streets can be easily overlooked. So don't be afraid to 'lose yourself' and explore the tiny narrow streets ... they have a fascination of times long forgotten, and rest assured it will be like nothing you have ever experienced before.

As you can see this is a photo of houses and apartments in the South of Valletta. These where once in a terrible state. Today theses houses and many others have been restored either by the private owner or by the government. Infact, many people tried or are stil trying to revive Valletta in order to give it a more lively atmosphere and a more modern facade however at the same time leaving that touch of the past.