Valletta, Malta: National Archeological Museum - Slightly Disappointing, But Worth A Visit

National Museum of Archeology

Auberge de Provence, Republic Street

Valletta, Malta VLT 1112

Phone: +356 21 221 623

Website:

Prices: €€€€

The National Museum of Archeology in Valletta is one of two important museums of this kind in Malta, the other being inside the Cittadella, in Victoria, on the island of Gozo. Situated on the main street of the Capital of Valletta, Republic Street, it is housed in what used to be the Auberge de Provence, a fine Baroque building dating back to 1571 where the Knights of the Order of St. John, those originating from Provence, used to live.

The entrance houses the ticket office and a (very small) gift shop, but offers a beautiful view of the decorated ceiling with beautiful, hundreds of years old, frescoes. The museum consists of two floors and is overall rather small. 

On the ground floor (first floor for you Yanks), one can see artifacts dating back to Malta’s Neolithic period (5,000 BC), including tools and representations of human and animal figures. The highlights on this floor are the original stones with reliefs from the temples of Hagar Qim and Tarxien, as well as the famous “Sleeping Lady” (from the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum) and the “Venus of Malta” (from the Hagar Qim Temple).

The exhibition is enriched by several informative boards and pictures throughout this floor (and the museum), showing the discovery and the excavations of the temples at the beginning of the twentieth-century.

The second floor (or third floor for you Yanks) houses the impressive Grand Salon, with painted ceilings walls and wooden beamed ceilings, but you can only get a glimpse of it from the doorway, directly in front of you as you reach the second floor landing, due to renovation work going on.

The rest of the second floor contains two halls: the Bronze Age Hall and the Phoenician Period Hall. The Bronze Age Hall shows several artifacts, such as pottery, weaving tools, and jewelry. You can also see a reproduction of the cart ruts surrounding the temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra in Qrenda as well as many other places on the island.

The Phoenician (or Punic) Hall also contains some interesting objects, including decorated pottery, a shawl in Tyre purple (a dye extracted from the murex shellfish for which the Phoenicians were famously secretive of the process), and an anthropomorphic sarcophagus.

We were extremely disappointed, however, in finding out that one of the Cippi of Melqart was missing from the Punic collection because it was on-loan to another museum during our visit. The two Cippi were unearthed in Malta in the 17th Century and date back to the 2nd Century BC. They are two extremely important artifacts because they contain votive offerings to the god Melgart inscribed in both Ancient Greek and Phoenician, providing a key to deciphering the Phoenician language in 1764. In that way, they are considered the Rosetta Stone of the Phoenician language. One is on display at the Louvre and the second one was supposed to be in this museum, but its absence was not advertised on their website. We happened to ask a staff member who did not even know to which museum the artifact had been loaned.

Cippi of Melqart

Apart from the burning disappointment of not being able to see the famous Cippi of Melquart, the museum was overall an interesting stop and certainly offered several other objects that were worth seeing. Works are currently in progress in the Punic Hall, so we hope to come back one day and see more about these fascinating and mysterious ancient people, as well as the renovated Grand Salon.

At just €8.50 for two, the entrance is very reasonable, even though the museum is rather small with relatively few artifacts, considering the vast history of the Island of Malta and numerous archeological sites around the islands.

CombatCritic Gives The Malta's National Museum Of Archeology 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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Hours

January and February

Monday to Sunday: 09.00 - 17.00hrs

Last admission: 16.30hrs

March - December

Monday to Sunday: 09.00 - 18.00hrs

Last admission: 17.30hrs

Closed on 24, 25 & 31 December, 1 January & Good Friday

Tickets

Adults (18 - 59 years): €5.00

Youths (12 - 17 years) and Seniors (60+), Students: €3.50

Children (6 -11 years): €2.50

Infants (1 -5 years): Free

Title: Valletta, Malta: National Archeological Museum - Slightly Disappointing, But Worth A Visit

Key Words: Valletta, Malta, National Archeological Museum, national, archeological, museum, Venus, Venus of Malta, Cippi of Melquart, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, attraction, museum, review, TripAdvisor

Copyright 2017 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Valletta, Malta: CombatCritic Gives "10 Bombs" To Valletta Rare 8-Cannon Salute

The Saluting Battery (Valletta)
Battery Street, Valletta
Website: salutingbattery.com
Phone: (765) 2122-5277
Prices: €€€€ FREE

Watch this extremely rare Eight Cannon Salute in ancient Valletta, Malta for visiting dignitaries ... Only on CombatCritic's "TravelValue" YouTube Channel.

Normally, they fire one gun at 12PM and 4PM daily, and six for visiting cruise ships upon request, but eight cannon salutes are extremely rare and reserved for only the most important dignitaries (e.g. Queen Elizabeth).

We had just missed the standard 4PM one cannon salute, but I noticed that they were reloading and fusing ALL EIGHT cannons. Knowing a little about gunpowder and fuses and how they react to humidity, I knew they were not loading them for the next day. THe soldiers remained on guard of the loaded cannons, so I asked if there would be a volley. The soldier told me that there would be another in about fifteen minutes.

About fifteen minutes later, a group of visiting dignitaries arrived, took a group photo in front of the eight cannons, and the firing commenced. This rare event was captured on video for you to watch here ... Enjoy!

CombatCritic Gives The Saluting Battery (Valletta) 10 Bombs (No Pun Intended) Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF FAME"... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: 

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Background (Wikipedia)

"The Saluting Battery (Maltese: Batterija tas-Salut) is an artillery battery in Valletta, Malta. It was constructed in the 16th century by the Order of Saint John, on or near the site of an Ottoman battery from the Great Siege of Malta. The battery forms the lower tier of St. Peter & Paul Bastion of the Valletta Land Front, located below the Upper Barrakka Gardens and overlooking Fort St. Angelo and the rest of the Grand Harbour.

The Saluting Battery was mainly used for firing ceremonial gun salutes and signals, but it also saw military use during the blockade of 1798–1800 and World War II. The battery remained an active military installation until its guns were removed by the British in 1954. It was restored and opened to the public in the early 21st century, and it is now equipped with eight working replicas of SBBL 32 pounders which fire gun signals daily at 1200 and 1600.
Detail from a map of the Grand Harbour during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, showing the Order's strongholds of Birgu and Senglea and various Ottoman batteries. The battery at the top left of the image, overlooking Fort St. Angelo and flying a blue standard, stood roughly on the site of the Saluting Battery.

The origins of the Saluting Battery go back to the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. During the siege, Ottoman forces mounted cannon on the Sciberras Peninsula (now occupied by Valletta and Floriana) to bombard the Order of Saint John in Fort St. Angelo. One of the siege batteries was located close to where the Saluting Battery is now, since the area is on high ground and has clear views of St. Angelo and the rest of the Grand Harbour.

In 1566, after the siege was lifted, the city of Valletta was founded. St. Peter & Paul Bastion began to be built in the same year, and was finished in 1570. The bastion has a multi-tiered artillery platform, from which guns could be mounted to command the full length and depth of the Grand Harbour. The Saluting Battery was built on the lower platform, while a loggia and a private garden were built on the upper part in the early 17th century. During the Order's rule in Malta, the battery was used for both military and ceremonial purposes. By the late 18th century, the battery was armed with sixteen 12-pounder bronze cannon that fired stone spherical shots.

During the French occupation of Malta and the siege of Valletta by Maltese insurgents, the armament of the Saluting Battery remained unchanged, but the guns' elevations were increased to be able to bombarded insurgent positions on Corradino Heights across the harbour.

Soon after the British occupied Malta in 1800, the three daily gun signals (at sunrise, noon and sunset) began to be fired from the Saluting Battery instead of Saint James Cavalier, as they had been during the Order's rule. When the battery was undergoing maintenance, the shots were fired from Fort St Angelo on the opposite side of the harbour. In 1803, two 24-pounder carronades and some 24-pounder cannon, which had been captured from the French during the French Revolutionary Wars, were added to the armament of the battery, and these remained in place until 1825.

In 1824, the loggia and garden on the platform above the Saluting Battery were opened to the public as the Upper Barrakka Gardens. By 1848, the battery was armed with four 12-pounder guns. Over the next few years, the armament was significantly increased. By 1852, the battery was armed with ten 24-pounders on the main parapet, four 32-pounders on the right flank, three 8-inch howitzers on the left flank, two 13-inch mortars at the back of the parapet, and two 56-pounder carronades at the salient angles. In 1854, Lascaris Battery was built adjoining St. Peter & Paul Bastion, below the Saluting Battery.

In the 1860s, another 24-pounder was added, bringing the salute guns to eleven. In 1886, howitzers were replaced by RML 64-pounder guns, while the 32-pounders were removed. In the 1890s, all the armament was replaced with eleven 32-pounder Muzzle Loaders, which were used for saluting purposes only. In the early 20th century, the armament consisted of eight SBBL 32 pounders. The gun signals were not fired throughout World War I to conserve gunpowder, and they began to be fired again on Armistice Day in 1918.

During the 1920s, the civilian authorities began pressing the government to cede the Saluting Battery in order to extend the Upper Barrakka. A second entrance to the battery was opened in 1924, linking it to the gardens. That same year, the armament was reduced to one SBBL 32-pounder, and four Ordnance QF 18-pounders. Part of the battery was given up to the public, and the guns were fenced off.
In 1939, just before the beginning of World War II, the guns were all removed to be deployed for coastal defence. A single Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun was placed on the right salient of the battery to protect the Malta Dockyard. The battery was manned by the 3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Malta Artillery. The Upper Barrakka and the Saluting Battery were significantly damaged by aerial bombardment. During the war, the Lascaris War Rooms were built in tunnels dug under the battery and gardens.

After the war, the damage to the battery and gardens was repaired. Its armament was briefly replaced by four 25-pounder QF Mk I guns. These were removed a few years later in 1954, when the battery was shut down and transferred to the Royal Navy as part of its complex in Fort Lascaris. In 1965, the part of the battery that was still military property was handed over to the civil government and the whole area was turned into a garden.

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, the Malta Heritage Trust, acquired the battery in 2004 and began to restore it to its late 19th century configuration. It now has working cannon, artillery stores, a gunpowder magazine, a collection of historic ordinance and a small museum.

After restoration, the battery was initially equipped with eight original 24-pounder Blomefield cannon made between 1790 and 1810, but these were transferred to a museum and replaced with eight working replicas of SBBL 32 pounders in 2011. During restoration works in 2011, about a hundred stone cannonballs were found at the site. 

The battery is now open daily, and guided tours are available. Gun salutes are fired every day at 1200 and 1600, and cruise liners visiting the Grand Harbour can also commission six-gun salutes."

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Title: Valletta, Malta: CombatCritic Gives "10 Bombs" To Valletta Rare 8-Cannon Salute

Key Words: Valletta, Malta, Saluting Battery, cannon, cannons, battery, volley, cannonball, weapon, salute, saluting, eight, 8, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, attraction, review, Tripadvisor

References

"Saluting Battery (Valetta): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saluting_Battery_(Valletta). Retrieved 11 December 2017.

Copyright 2017 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Valletta, Malta: Free Valletta Tour Well Worth Price Of Admission ... And More!

Colour My Travel

Valletta City Gate

Valletta, Malta

Phone: +356 9980 0215

Facebook Page

Website: colourmytravel.com

Jennifer (Left)

Hey, there is a FREE 90-MINUTE WALKING TOUR of Valletta that you WILL NOT FIND ON TripAdvisor ... surprise, surprise ... offered by Colour My Travel. TripAdvisor is all about profit and does not care about merchants or reviewers (based on personal experience), so why would they advertise a free tour? I had to go to the company's website to find out about this tour, so do your "due diligence" (or read my blog) if you want to find real TravelValue. Here is more information about the free tour ...

My wife and I took the 90+ minute free Valletta tour last night with Jennifer, a very knowledgable, personable, and friendly tour guide and experienced history teacher. We met at the appointed time and place, a diverse group of tourists from countries around the globe, and were on our way around the tiny, beautiful capitol city of Valletta.

We started in front of the parliament building, making our way past ancient churches, the prime minister's office, beautiful gardens, scenic panoramas, historic statues, the former "red light" district, ending the tour in the square in front of the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of St John. Jennifer's energetic and detailed history and accounts along the way were both entertaining and educational.

For a free tour, it was very comprehensive, fun, and I highly recommend this tour for those visiting Malta. We will probably take another tour with Colour My Travel before we leave, probably the Mdina Ghost Tour. Finally, you may want to consider amending your name to "Color" My Travel for your American customers so we can find you on the web ... just kidding, just some "Yank" humour, I mean humor.

CombatCritic Gives Colour My Travel's Free Valletta Tour And Jennifer 10 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Valletta, Malta: Free Valletta Tour Well Worth Price Of Admission ... And More!

Key Words: Valletta, Malta, Colour My Travel, colour, my, travel, tour, tours, Jennifer, downtown, capitol, excursions, free, ghost, color, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp

Copyright 2017/2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved