Grandmaster's Palace, Valletta, Malta

The Grandmaster's Palace has been the centre of administrative power for over 400 years and was firstly occupied in 1571. It was bought in 1574 to be the seat of the Grandmaster of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John.
The Palace was enlarged and embellished in the following centuries, giving the building a Baroque character. The ceilings of the main corridors were decorated with frescoes by Nicolau Nasoni in 1724, during the reign of Portuguese Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. Nasoni later worked and died in northern Portugal.
The full visit comprises the State Apartments and the Palace Armoury.

Opening hours: Armoury 9 am to 5 pm; State Rooms Fri to Wed, 9 am to 4 pm.
Entrance fee: €10 (Armoury and State Rooms)

 Back to Valletta






Local: Valeta, Malta

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Church of Santa Maria de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal

Image
The church of Santa Maria de Belém originated from the expansion,  ordered by Henry the Navigator in the 15th century,  of a previous hermitage built on the site. The new church was trusted to the Order of Christ- of which Henry the Navigator was the Grand Master- to help the seamen that passed by Belém, as the hermitage had done before. In 1501, by order of King D. Manuel I, the Monastery of the Hieronymites started being built and the small church was totally remodelled in the Manueline and Renaissance styles. It was the king's wish that the church should become a pantheon for the dynasty (Avis-Beja) started by him, and that it continued to help the travellers passing through Belém. Like the Monastery, the church was significantly restored in the 19th century. Inside the church are the tombs of several historical figures: Luís de Camões, one of Portugal's greatest poets who lived in the 16th century, Vasco da Gama, the first navigator to go to India by sea, King D. Sebast
Read more

National Palace and Gardens of Queluz, Portugal

Image
The National Palace of Queluz was built in 1747, in the late Baroque and Rococo styles, by order of the future king Pedro III, married to queen Maria I. It was conceived as a Summer residence, becoming the royal family's favourite place for leisure and entertainment. Following a fire in the National Palace of Ajuda, Queluz became their permanent residence, until 1807, when the royal family had to flee to Brazil to escape the French Invasions. Despite being much smaller, the palace is sometimes dubbed the Portuguese Versailles. In 1908 it became the property of the State. It was extensively restored after a fire destroyed it in 1934. The complex makes a pleasant half day excursion from Lisbon. Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Entrance fee: €10 How to get there: From Lisbon, the easiest way is to take the train, at Oriente, Entrecampos or Rossio, to Queluz or Monte Abraão. It's a 30 min. ride plus a 15 min walk to the palace. Charge your card with €5 for the roun
Read more

The Gates of Mdina, Malta

Image
Mdina walls have three gates: the Mdina Gate, the Greeks Gate and the Gharreqin Gate. The Main Gate, also known as Vilhena gate, was built in 1724, under Grandmaster Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, who in 1722 ordered the renovation and restoration of Mdina. The courtyard behind the main gate was demolished to make way for the Vilhena Palace and a new gate had to be built, a few meters to the left of the old one, which was walled up. The Gate has reliefs of Saint Agatha, Saint Paul and Saint Publius, the three patron saints of Malta. The Greeks Gate is the oldest of the three Gates, dating back to medieval times. It was also renovated in 1724 when an outer portal was built in the baroque style. It is known as the Greeks Gate because a small community of Greeks once lived by the gate. For many years it was the only gate by which the slaves were allowed to enter Mdina. The Gharreqin Gate is the less known and most recent of the three Gates. It was excavated in the city
Read more

Lisbon Aqueduct, Portugal

Image
The aqueduct of Águas Livres (free waters) was built to address the lack of water in Lisbon, as Tagus water at this point, close to the sea, has always been unfit for human consumption. An aqueduct started being constructed in Roman times but it was never finished and it was only during the reign of king John V, in the 18th century, that an aqueduct was finally built. Although unfinished, it started bringing water to the city in 1748 and the network of canals and fountains in the city was enlarged. The aqueduct started losing importance as other sources of water were channelled into the city but it was only in 1968 that it ceased to be used. The best-known part of the aqueduct is the section over Alcantara valley. It is 941 metres long, with 21 perfect round arches and 14 ogival arches. The "arco grande" (big arch) is 65 metres tall and 29 metres wide and is the tallest ogival arch in the world. The waters brought by the aqueduct were accumulated in Amoreiras reservoir
Read more