Grandmaster's Palace

In the heart of Valletta's historic centre is the Grandmaster's Palace, a 16th-century building steeped in history and rich in valuable artefacts. The founder of the current capital of Malta, Jean Parisat de Valette, ordered this palace to be built as the official residence of the masters of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller.

The British moved political power to this palace during their period of occupation, and today the Grandmaster's Palace houses the Maltese Parliament and the office of the Presidency. Every 25 minutes it's possible to watch the changing of the guard at the palace entrance.

Visiting the palace

The best thing about visiting the Grandmaster's Palace is to enjoy the careful decoration of its rooms and corridors. The ceilings are richly decorated with paintings and the floor is carved in stone with the coats of arms of the different masters of the Order who resided in the palace.

Also worth seeing are the Throne Room and the Tapestry Room, which house authentic works of art from the 1700s.

The armoury

One of the most interesting parts of the visit to the Grandmaster's Palace is the Armoury or Weapons Room. This is an important collection of armour, spears, swords, cannons and all kinds of original war objects preserved from the Knights of the Order of Malta.