Vittoriosa Things to Do

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Explore the history of the Great Siege at Vittoriosa by visiting the Vittoriosa 1565 Museum which is situated in a quiet street in the old part of Vittoriosa city.
In this medieval house the visitor can see 30 life-size Knights and Turks in action, together with reconstructions of Dragut's camp, Turks scaling walls, La Valette's thanksgiving after the victory, the torture chamber, a shelter, a 12-minute video on big screen in various languages, a souvenir shop, a wine and coffee bar, and a guided tour of the place.
NOTE THAT ALL INFO AND PICS WERE TAKEN FROM MUSEUM'S WEBSITE.

The Vittoriosa waterfront is dominated by the Watch Tower. This building was erected in 1545, to serve as the Order's Bakery. In those days the Knights were quartered in Vittoriosa. The upper storey was the office of the Common Treasurer of the Order.When Valletta was built some 20 years later, the Bakery and Common Treasurer were moved there. The former bakery was transformed as a factory for sails and rigging. Now this building makes part of the Maritime Museum. Some office scenes from the film 'The Count of Monte Cristo' were filmed in this building.

This Museum is housed in a late 19th century building over the site of the old covered slipways of the Knights of St.John.

There are exhibits consisting of various watercolours, original wonders of maritime engineering, models, and archaeological items, amonst others.

Here you will see a large and varied collection of paintings, photogrpahs, models, uniforms, weapons, instruments and other artefacts that attest to the history of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean during the nineteenth and twentieth century and its impact on the economy and social life of the Maltese Islands.

Openings Hours:

Winter: Mon-Sat - 8.15 - 17.00
Sunday - 8.15 - 16.15

Summer: Mon - Sun - 7.45 - 14.00

Closed on Public Holidays

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Built in the 16th century, this was the base for the English Knights of the Order . Each nationality of Knights had its own auberge as a base. There are seven auberge sites still to be found in Vittoriosa.

During the Great Siege of Malta in 1565 there was only one English Knight: Oliver Starkey, who was Latin secretary to Grand Master La Valette. He lived in the building to the far left in the photo (the auberge has the balcony).

The auberge is now used as a local library, so you can wander inside during opening hours.

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Apart from containing specific old buildings of interest such as the Auberge d'Angleterre and the 'Norman House', this part of Vittoriosa seems to have suffered less from damage during Malta's various trials over the centuries, and is a joy to wander around. Not least because the people who actually live there clearly take pride and pleasure in making it so, with pot plants a-plenty.

The butter coloured stone buildings snuggle together along narrow alleyways and streets, some barely wide enough for a donkey-cart let alone a car. Unlike the grid pattern in which Valletta was laid out, these streets and alleyways wind in true Medieval fashion, so unexpected pleasures lie around each turn.

Allow yourself an hour or so of slow wandering and close inspection. It is a true pleasure, especially in the bright sunshine.

When one considers how these were created, without modern tools, without electricity, with just the muscles and sweat of hundreds of men (albeit some of them prisoners of war).......they are even more impressive.

This photo is of the enormous ditch between the Advanced Gate (built in 1722) and the Porte de Provence, now filled with olive trees and other foliage.

The photo is where you will enter Vittoriosa, unless you come by boat. Wander the edges of the peninsula to see the other vast walls, gun emplacements, look-outs, sally-ports and, of course, the massive Fort St Angelo at its furthest point.

For those of you who are interested in military history , you may like to take the bus across to Vittoriosa to see the "Freedom Monument." It was sculpted by the late Anton Agius. born in Rabat. The sculpter aged 74 died during our visit to Malta Oct. 2008.

The monument was erected in 1979 to commemorate the withdrawal of the British forces from the island. This momument, as well as marking the site of the British withdrawal, is also the site where Nelson's representative landed in 1799 to claim the island for Britain.

Unfortunately the positioning of the statues being surrounded by the green trees, makes it hard to see the monument clearly. I suggest you enlarge the picture to get a better sighting. The momument seems to be erected on a roundabout.