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REBECCA KONCIENZCY ENJOYS A LIVING HISTORY LESSON IN BEAUTIFUL MALTA
WITH its treasure trove of history, vibrant creative scene and laidback Mediterranean lifestyle, Malta’s irresistible islands attract every type of traveller. While some go for culture-packed city breaks or fly in for festivals and club nights, others get lost in the fantasy of escaping to a sun-drenched island, eating local specialities by the sea and flopping by the hotel pool.
A mosaic of colours and cultures, many civilisations have left their mark on this archipelago – which is what makes it so diverse and welcoming.
Brits see parts of their lives here, from driving on the left to the red telephone boxes bringing back memories of a bygone era from home. Fluent English is spoken everywhere.
After getting a taste for it, some miss it so much they up sticks and make new lives here in the thriving expat communities. The Pub, a famous haunt for Brits on Malta, is where Oliver Reed took his last drink and died while filming Gladiator.
If locals leave to see what the rest of the world has to offer, many are pulled back to their homeland. After years of investment in creative industries, hotels, attractions and hospitality, their island is in a great shape to put down permanent roots. But it’s the intense history of Malta that provides its unique look and character, which forms the backbone of its appeal. A much fought-over prize across centuries, it has had a succession of rulers including the Romans, Moors, Knights of Saint John, French and British, resulting in towering fortresses and watch towers dotted all over the island.
Equally appealing is its art and architecture. Valletta, Malta’s UNESCO-recognised capital, is bursting with opulent palaces and ornate churches full of spectacular interiors and significant collections.
In the Grandmaster’s Palace, the state rooms hold painted scenes of the 16th-century Great Siege.
At St John’s Co-Cathedral Museum, built by the Knights of Saint John in the 16th century, there are exquisite gilded rooms, marble floors and painted arched ceilings. The oratory displays two original masterpieces by Caravaggio, The Beheading Of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Jerome Writing.
Re-energised as a centre of contemporary art and design, Valletta was crowned European Capital of
Culture in 2018 and boasts an array of pioneering galleries and creative spaces.
There is food for thought at MUZA, where interactive multimedia installations sit next to centuries-old pieces.
Valletta Contemporary is an exhibition space and art gallery set inside a 400-year-old warehouse, which showcases creative trailblazers such as Maltese artist Kane Cali, who explores form through modern glassmaking and ceramics.
Venture west to Rabat, just outside the old capital of Mdina, where narrow streets full of elaborate churches and palazzos have become a magnet for creatives, including ceramics expert Sue Mifsud.
Originally from Birmingham, she fell in love with a Maltese man – and the island.
From her studio, she works with clay imported from Stoke-on-Trent to make unique but functional pieces from plant pots to chess pieces, which are sold in shops around the island, suemifsud.com.
Also in Rabat, you’ll find Maltaborn artist Stephanie Borg, who lived in Florida, Italy and Oman before returning to the island in 2008.
Her bold, collectable pieces and meticulous ink drawings are inspired by everyday Maltese life, from the ornate doors and tiles in towns and villages, to the locals going about their routines, stephanieborg.com.
On your travels around the island, you’re also likely to see the creations of designer Marco Parascandalo, who hails from the Maltese city of Birgu, sported by the fashionistas of Malta.
After being taught how to sew by a drag queen in London, he returned to the island to create collections of durable streetwear and accessories, which integrate aspects of Maltese culture, politics and environmental issues, parascandalo.net.
Stretching just nine miles wide and 17 miles long, it’s easy to cherrypick your way around the huge array of sights and attractions here.
Tick off historic landmarks such as the Maritime Museum, set in a
former naval bakery in Birgu. Charting 7,000 years of maritime history, it houses 20,000 artefacts and is the biggest museum on the island.
Game Of Thrones fans might like to walk across Mdina Gate, the entrance to the “silent city”, which doubled as the gateway to King’s Landing.
If you fancy a lavish feast in grand surroundings, head to
Xara Palace, a former 17th-century palazzo-turned Relais & Chateaux hotel within Mdina’s city walls. Here you’ll find Trattoria AD 1530, which serves many must-order Mediterranean flavours, such as falafel, calamari fritti, burrata and beef carpaccio. On my visit, I stayed at the five-star Phoenicia located just outside Valletta’s 16th-century bastions and surrounded by lush, landscaped gardens. A Maltese icon with a grand, red-carpeted entrance, the classic Palm Court lounge and lavish infinity pool, it’s the perfect place to plan your days over cocktails and dinners.
Be it trips to the coast to seek out dreamy lagoons and dive sites or exploring the cities packed with cathedrals and collonaded squares, Malta is an island brimming with bright ideas.
Brits see parts of their lives here... bringing back memories of a bygone era