Palace of the Grand Master in Valletta

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MaltaPalace of the Grand Master

 

closed

🕗 opening times

Monday-
Tuesday-
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58, Republic Street, Valletta, MT Malta
contacts phone: +356
larger map & directions
Latitude: 35.8987736, Longitude: 14.5140424

comments 5

  • Joachim Keinert

    Joachim Keinert

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    It's the other highlight to visit in Valletta The main highlight is the co-cathedral. Even when not visiting the armour collection, the palace's state rooms are worth it.

  • Michael Azad

    Michael Azad

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    The Palace of the Grand Master consists of the state rooms and the armoury which are open to the public. You’ll also find the courtyard and it’s gardens. Purchasing the Valletta ticket will give you access to both historical places. On some days the state rooms will not be available so I recommend checking ahead to ensure it’s open.

  • C.T. Sorrentino

    C.T. Sorrentino

    ::

    The entrance to the museum, comprising today only the Palace State Rooms and the Palace Armory, is through picturesque Old Theatre Street and leads you to the Prince Alfred Courtyard, adorned by a beautiful clock tower. The clock was designed in 1745, even if local tradition affirms that the clock was actually brought to Malta in 1530 when the Knights of St. John had to leave their previous home in Rhodes. The visit begins with the State Rooms, located on the second floor (third floor for you Yanks) of the palace (elevator available if you are disabled). Audio guides are included with admission and detailed information and explanations are available at numbered spots along the way. To start the tour, you immediately enter a beautiful and long corridor, housing the portrait gallery of the Grandmaster's of Malta's Order of St. John. Both ceiling and floor are elaborately decorated, the ceiling with frescoes and the floor with ornate marble, and rows of antique armor along each wall to welcome you. Following the audio guide numbers in the various rooms, you next enter the Tapestry Hall (where photos are not allowed and the light is rather dim), containing “the only complete and intact set of the famous 18th century French Gobelins tapestries, entitled Les Teintures des Indes, in the world” (Heritage Malta Website). The tapestries are huge and impressive, even if one cannot make out all the details due to distance (security) restrictions and the scarce illumination. The next room, the State Dining Hall, is used today to entertain dignitaries and Heads of State. It is spacious but sparsely furnished, being adorned by several portraits of Presidents of Malta, as well as by one at the front of the room of Queen Elizabeth II, Malta's former monrach. The most impressive room is no doubt the Throne Room, today the place where the President of Malta holds state functions, but originally known as the Supreme Council Hall and used by the Grandmasters to host ambassadors and dignitaries. The upper part of the hall is decorated by a series of 13 frescoes dating back to 1575-81 and representing the events of the Great Siege of Malta (1565), an impressive and comprehensive visual narration of the historical event by created by Matteo Perez d’Aleccio (1547-1628). Your visit continues with the Ambassador’s Room in dark red and with the Page’s Waiting Room, notable for the famous painting of Jean de la Vallette (1495-1568), the Grandmaster who led the Knights of St. John to victory during the Great Siege of Malta and who gave his name to Valletta, laying the city's foundation stone in 1566. The rest of the palace is not accessible, so you get to walk through the beautiful corridors and portrait gallery again, go down the stairs (or take the elevator) and return to the ticket office, from where your visit to the Armory begins. Immediately after the ticket office you can admire the Grandmaster’s Carriage (18th century) and then enter the two rooms that were once the stables but where the arms collection was moved in 1975-76. Even if armor and weaponry are not really your thing, this armory is worth visiting because it includes the personal armor of some Grandmasters and several Ottoman (Turkish) weapons from the Great Siege of Malta. Overall, the State Rooms and the Armory were an interesting journey through the complex and fascinating history of Malta. At €17.00 for two (€10 Adults and €7 Seniors - 60+), entry is a bit on the expensive side, considering that you only see a few rooms of the palace and that they sell only joint admission tickets for both the State Rooms and the Armory. There are many sites on the island that are much less expensive and equally, if not more, impressive, than the palace tour. CombatCritic Gives The Grandmaster’s Palace And Armory 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

  • Ian Chamberlain

    Ian Chamberlain

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    This will be on your to do list.If you read my other reviews i hope you can trust me.Beautiful palace.Paintings and marble floors to die for.Pictures on the ceiling are stunning.There are audio guides.please take one or you will only see and not understand.The armouries are big.I found at this stage of the visit i was beginning to be on information overload.I put the audio guide down quite a bit and still enjoyed the displays.I did struggle a little to locate the palace(believe it or not) Not a critisism,just no--this way to the palace signs.Definitley need to open your map.10.11.17.

  • Marek Madejski

    Marek Madejski

    ::

    Interesting place; still in use by the Maltese government (and accessible to the public, which is a rarity in other countries). Audio guides in several major languages are available. The museum provides a brief introduction to the history of Malta and how it became a republic. All rooms have elaborative decorations. Unfortunately, thanks to the rope barrier, visitors can only peek through the doorway. Audio guide was describing pieces of art which were too far away to see the details or just barely visible at acute angle. This is disappointing, as these rooms are in use.

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