Perhaps the most renowned museum in Valletta, St John’s Co-Cathedral, though modest on the outside, is the epitome of grandeur, once you walk through its doors and come face to face with its extensive collection of Baroque art and architecture. The cathedral was built as the conventual church of the Knights of St. John and, over the years, was enriched with contributions of high artistic quality. The museum is open from Monday to Friday between 9:30am and 4:30pm, and on Saturday between 9:30am and 12:30pm.
Toys have changed substantially over the passage of time and with advances in technology. The Toy Museum in Valletta has documented this transition through its collection of artifacts beginning from the 1950s and leading up to the present day. Located in Republic Street, The Toy Museum includes toy planes, matchbox cars, dolls and trains and much, much more. The museum, which was opened in 1998 by Vincent Brown, also displays the founder's own collection. The oldest item is a wooden Pinocchio, dating back from 1883. The Toy Museum is open from Monday to Friday from 10am till 3pm.
Learn all about Malta’s postal heritage at the recently-opened Malta Postal Museum, housed in a Baroque building on Archbishop Street. The museum explores the island's postal history which started in the 16th century, during the Order of St John. Here, you can view old stamp collections and learn all about the history of this communications network. The museum also boasts galleries which regularly host exhibitions. The museum is open from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm and on Saturday between 10am and 2pm.
Anyone interested in Malta’s rich history should definitely visit The National Museum of Archaeology. Decorated in the Baroque style, it is home to artefacts ranging from Malta’s Neolithic period in 5,000 BC, to the Phoenician period in 400 BC, giving visitors a thorough introduction to the prehistory and history of the Maltese Islands. The display includes some of the earliest tools used by prehistoric man, which provide insight into the artistic skills and daily lives of the first citizens to live on the islands. The museum is also in the process of including other exhibition spaces dedicated to the Punic, Roman, and Byzantine periods in Malta. The museum is open from 9am to 5pm, between January and February, and between 9am and 6pm between March and December.
In the foyer of Malta’s Central Bank in Valletta, a currency museum displays notes and coins in circulation in Malta through the ages, portraying Malta’s vast history, ruling powers and the island's development over the years; it also conveys the same of neighbouring countries with which Malta traded. The currencies range from the Punic times to the Order of St John; the British period to the Maltese decimalisation in 1972, and finally, the euro. The currency museum is open to the public during normal office hours.
26th January 2019
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