BOV employees discover the capital city with their children

aIt was a Bank Holiday with a difference for a sizeable group of BOV employees. Organized by the Bank’s PR & Marketing team, this tour saw the employees accompanied by their children, following the trail of our forefathers along the streets of our capital city, Valletta.

The participants toured along the well-trodden streets of the Capital City, accompanied with a guide who pointed out historical sites like Teatru Rjal, St James Cavalier, Castille and the house where Girolamo Cassar used to live. The group was also encouraged to turn its gaze up, discovering interesting though probably less known curiosities, such as the gargoyles underneath old balconies, a must to keep out the evil eye, as well old shop signs, dating back to the time of the British rule.

This occasion proved to be the perfect opportunity to pay a visit to the dagger belonging to Jean Parisot de La Vallette, which has been loaned by the Louvre Museum in Paris, and is temporarily exhibited at the National Museum of Archaeology, for the first time since 1798. Of course, the guide took the opportunity to walk the participants across the main highlights of Malta’s archaeological past, with the sleeping lady emerging as a firm favourite among big and small.

Finally, participants enjoyed a short but well-deserved break at the Saluting Battery, whilst enjoying the stunning views offered from its high perch above the Grand Harbour. They were also given a brief but informative tour by a Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna guide who, among other curiosities, explained how the cannon is loaded and fired.

Participants were given a Discover Valletta pack which gives an overview of several locations across the capital cities. These are brought to live through an original narrative by Trevor Zahra. In order to be able to enjoy the stories with their family, participants were handed out a portable speaker as well.

“This occasion brought together two parties whom we support through the Bank’s Community Relations Programme,” explained Joyce Tabone from the Bank’s PR & Marketing team. “Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna is a longterm partner, currently responsible for over 37 historical sites around the Maltese Islands, including Fort Rinella and the Saluting Battery. Discover Valletta is a project co-produced by Valletta 2018 and Bank of Valletta. These packs, which are distributed to Form 1 students across all schools, consist of an MP3 player, loaded with 24 bi-lingual audio tracks, outlining the history of 24 locations, together with a number of flashcards with fun and educational information about every place. It was indeed a pleasure to combine forces with the BOV Sports and Social Club in order to organise this event that enabled us to share what our capital city has to offer, as well as the invaluable work that these two NGOs do with our colleagues and their children,” she concluded.