Grand Master's Palace and Armoury

The Grand Master's Palace and Armoury occupies a full block of St George's Square in the heart of Valletta, Malta. Built from the 1570s as the residence of the Knights of St John's Grand Masters, it now houses the office of the President of Malta and, on the upper floor, the Parliament's former chamber. Heritage Malta runs two visits inside: the State Rooms and the Armoury. The State Rooms are reached by a stone staircase leading to a loggia-fronted corridor around an inner courtyard. Visitors walk through a sequence of richly decorated halls hung with tapestries, portraits of Grand Masters and painted friezes depicting episodes from Malta's history, including scenes of the Great Siege of 1565. The Armoury, on the ground floor, holds one of the larger surviving collections of arms and armour from the Knights' era, including plate armour, swords, firearms and ceremonial suits made for individual Grand Masters. Rows of helmets and breastplates fill long vaulted rooms, and the collection gives a clear sense of how the order equipped itself during its centuries on the island. A typical visit takes one to one and a half hours. The palace faces St George's Square, a lively open space with cafes, and the courtyards inside are quiet by comparison. Photographers tend to favour the corridors with their painted ceilings and the courtyard arcades, though flash rules apply and visitors should follow the posted signs. Crowds are heaviest from late morning when cruise-ship groups reach Valletta, so weekday mornings shortly after opening are the calmer window. The State Rooms can close at short notice for official functions, which is why Heritage Malta publishes closure dates in advance; on those days the Armoury remains open. The palace sits only a few minutes' walk from the Upper Barrakka Gardens and Republic Street, making it easy to pair with other Valletta sights.