What’s On

Heritage Malta is participating in this exhibition by loaning the painting of Catherine the Great with St George’s Ribbon to the Grand Palace ‘Tsaritsyno’ in Moscow. It will be the only artefact on display in ‘The Exhibition of One Painting – The Portrait of Catherine the Great with St George’s Ribbon’ organised on the occasion of the inauguration for public viewing of the Ekaterininsky Hall and its adjacent wing and the 290th Anniversary of the Great Empress birthday.

The painting by the great Russian painter Dimitri Grigorevich Levitzky (1735-1822) was painted in 1787 and was given as a diplomatic gift by Catherine the Great to Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan Polduc in 1790 to show her gratitude for maritime services and assistance received by the Order of St John against their common enemy, the Ottoman Empire.

The painting forms part of the National Collection and is displayed in the prestigious Ambassadors Room of the Grandmaster’s Palace in Valletta.

The Inquisitor is often seen just as a religious legal figure, blindly enforcing Canon law and suppressing heresy. However, Inquisitors were also learned and cultured dignitaries, living a public life.

This exhibition is an unprecedented attempt at presenting archaeological materials recovered during the 1998 excavation of a cess-pit and from later recoveries in the prison area. Specifically the exhibition highlights a group of early porcelain – artefacts from a privileged group, which allows us to explore the culturally refined habitus characteristic of the Inquisitor’s establishment in 18^th century Malta.

Opening hours: Inquisitor’s Palace opening hours, 0900 – 1700 hours (last admission 1630 hours)

Admission to this exhibition is included in the museum’s regular ticket price.

On 7 June 1919 all Maltese joined forces and stood up for their social and political rights. Mass protests were held in Valletta while Maltese leaders in a National Assembly were discussing a new constitution for Malta. The angry crowds attacked the British flag and destroyed a number of properties. Four Maltese were killed by British soldiers.

This exhibition by Heritage Malta in collaboration with the National Archives investigates the circumstances which led to the Maltese uprising against the British colonial government, and its consequences.

Opening hours: National Museum of Archaeology opening hours, 0900 – 1700 hours (last admission 1630 hours)

Admission to this exhibition is included in the museum’s regular ticket price.

As part of the Public Service Week 2019, Heritage Malta’s museums and sites in Malta and Gozo will be open for free to the public during normal admission times on 21 September, except the Ħal-Saflieni Hypogeum and Fort St Elmo, due to other concurrent event. Guided tours will take place in Maltese and English throughout the day. The tours have been specifically set to allow visitors to plan their visit to Heritage Malta museums and sites which are close to each other, such as Valletta, the Harbour area, sites in the southern part of Malta, Rabat and Mdina or Gozo. Re-enactments will take place throughout the day at Fort St Angelo. A number of activities are also planned on the day in a number of sites, including children’s activities at St Paul’s Catacombs and Għar Dalam, an activity regarding conservation of paintings at MUŻA, and a special activity about the everyday life of the miller followed by a live demonstration on the preparation of traditional Maltese grounded coffee and maqrut at Ta’ Kola Windmill.

Time: Normal Heritage Malta museums and sites opening hours

Welcome autumn at a unique prehistoric site by joining Heritage Malta at Mnajdra on Sunday 22nd and Monday 23rd September where you can see the first rays of the sun enter the very centre of a doorway designed to mark the start of each season. The event will include a tour of Mnajdra and the Visitor Centre.

Limited places are available and light refreshments will also be served.

Time: 06.15 hours (meeting point: Ħaġar Qim Visitor Centre Centre)

Tickets: €25 available from all Heritage Malta museums and sites, and ONLINE.

Delve beneath Valletta’s bustling streets to discover the vaults and tunnels that served as water cisterns, sewage systems, defences and war shelters. Discover why they were built and the stories of  those who built and used them through the centuries.

Kindly note that these are confined spaces and that there may be slippery floors, so sound footwear is recommended.

Admission is free of charge. A ticket is required. Tickets will be available from the National Museum of Archaeology as from the 21 September, on a first come, first served basis.  

Time for the Valletta Underground Tours:

– Saturday 28 September at 1100 hours (Maltese), 1200 hours (English), 1400 hours (Maltese), 1500 hours (English)

– Sunday 29 September at 1000 hours (Maltese), 1100 hours (English), 1200 hours (Maltese), 1400 hours (English)