Museums by Candlelight

On Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th October, three key sites – the Malta Maritime Museum, the Inquisitor’s Palace and Fort St Angelo – will be opening with advantageous reduced admission rates and optional pre-booked guided tours. The latter will be taking place regularly, in both Maltese and English.

All three sites will open their doors at 9:00 am and remain open during extended hours – until 11:00 pm on Saturday, and until 7:00 pm on Sunday. On Saturday, all three sites will be illuminated with the flickering, warm light of candles and torches. Fort St Angelo will be illuminated with no less than 1500 candles, and thanks to a special collaboration with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the public will also be able to access the upper part of the fort. Talented historical re-enactors will also brighten the festivities.

This is also an excellent opportunity for the public to experience no less than four exhibitions currently set up in the unique ambiences provided by these historic sites. The exhibition ‘An Island at the Crossroads’, at the Malta Maritime Museum, takes its visitors on a journey through Malta’s salt-scented centuries, focusing on how our islands were always at the heart of navigation. Scrumptious treats, exclusively prepared by Taste History, will also be available for purchase at the museum.

The Inquisitor’s Palace, on the other hand, is currently housing the captivating ‘Fare Convito – The Archaeology of Banqueting in Hospitaller Malta’. This exhibition delves into the intersection of food, art, and politics, revealing the intricate rituals of Baroque banqueting in Malta, and features items recovered through archaeological digs within the palace itself.

The highly immersive, newly-opened exhibition ‘Betrayal and Vengeance – The Slaves’ Conspiracy of 1749 in 19 historic drawings’ transports its viewers amidst one of the most riveting and tense episodes in Malta’s annals, which could have swivelled the country’s destiny dramatically. In ‘Threads of Faith – Liturgical Vestments of the Order of St John’, the refined garments worn by the clergy during the rule by the religious order on the islands, and even before – with invaluable pieces dating to 1496, come under the spotlight.

A general admission ticket granting access to all three sites is priced at just €3 for the general public and will be available at the door. Entry is free for Heritage Malta Senior and Student Passport holders and members. Those who wish to go the extra mile and get tickets for the guided tours, priced at €5 for each site, should book them from any Heritage Malta museum or site, or online here: www.heritagemalta.mt/store Tours will be in both Maltese and English at all three sites. Some of the tours will be exclusively for Heritage Malta members.

Guided tours schedule:

The Inquisitor’s Palace

Saturday, 12^th October 2024

• 10:00am (MT), 12:00 (ENG), 16:00 (MT) and 19:00 (ENG) – Guided tours focusing on the Palace itself, and the three exhibitions it is currently housing.
• 18:00 – Exclusive Heritage Malta Members’ tour (MT)
• 11:00 (ENG), 14:00 (MT) and 17:00 (ENG) – Thematic tours focusing on the exhibition ‘Liturgical vestments of the Order of St John’ and the national costumes and textiles collection.

Sunday, 13^th October 2024

• 11:00 (MT), 16:00 (ENG) and 17:00 (MT)– Guided tours focusing on the Palace itself, and the three exhibitions it is currently housing.
• 14:00 pm – Exclusive Heritage Malta Members’ tour (ENG)
• 13:00 (MT) and 15:00 pm (ENG) –Thematic tours focusing on the exhibition ‘Liturgical vestments of the Order of St John’ and the national costumes and textiles collection.

The Malta Maritime Museum

Saturday, 12^th October 2024

• 10:00 (ENG), 11:00 (MT), 13:00 (ENG), 16:00 (MT), 18:00 (ENG), 19:00 (MT) and 20:00 (ENG) – Guided tours around the ‘An Island at the Crossroads’ exhibition.
• 15:00 pm – Exclusive Heritage Malta Members’ tour (MT)

Sunday, 13^th October 2024

• 09:00 (MT), 11:00 (ENG), 13:00 (MT) and 14:00 (ENG) – Guided tours around the ‘An Island at the Crossroads’ exhibition.
• 16:00 – Exclusive Heritage Malta Members’ tour (ENG)

Fort St Angelo

Saturday, 12th October 2024

• 10:00 (MT), 14:00 (ENG), 16:00 (MT), 18:00 (ENG) and 20:00 (MT) – Guided Tour
• 12:00 – Exclusive Heritage Malta Members’ Tour (MT)

Sunday, 13th October 2024

• 09:00 (ENG), 13:00 (MT), 15:00 (ENG) and 17:00 (MT) – Guided Tour
• 11:00 am – Exclusive Heritage Malta Members’ Tour (ENG)