Vittoriosa Historical and Cultural Society

HISTORICAL TOUR OF VITTORIOSA

QUESTIONS

We start our Tour precisely in front of the Information Board which is placed just at the entrance to Birgu when approaching the City from Cospicua, having passed the Church of St Theresa.  This Information Board is found near the signpost of Triq 79.

The official Birgu website is written on the Information Board.  What is it?

(1)………………………………………………………………………………………..

On the opposite side there is another prominent Board about the Malta at War Museum.  This Museum is administered jointly by the Vittoriosa Local Council and a non-government organization.  What is its name?

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We can now see the first entrance into the City of Birgu called Advance Gate. You will surely note the baroque sculpture(deeply eroded) depicting Ottoman weapons:  lances, scimitars, shields, turbans.  On the Gate one sees the year in Latin format when it was last restored.  How is it written?

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To the left of Advance Gate below street level(indeed this was part of the ditch) there is a small garden with a palm tree in the middle.  At the back there is a niche with an effigy of the Volto Santo.  This garden is known locally as “Fejn Sabu s-Sinjur”(literally translated: Where they found the Lord).   What is the reason for this description?

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We walk through the Gate beyond the Monument to Sir Paul Boffa and we come to the office of the Vittoriosa Local Council. This is reached by a flight of steps.  Can you count how many steps you have to walk up to reach the Loacl Council office?

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We now cross the bridge.  On the right hand side you can see a much higher bridge built on three archways across the Birgu Ditch.  This scene was used when filming a successful film of the Roman epoch which was to a large extent shot in Malta.  Do you know which film it was?

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We now enter the second gate into the city known as Couvre Porte(Cover Gate) and we reach a small open area.  This part of the bastions was called a Post and was under the control of one of the Eight Langues of the Order.  Which Langue was it?

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The third gate dominates this area.  This is in fact the Main Gate of Vittoriosa.  You will realize that the Main Gate is completely hidden and protected by the other two gates in order to prevent the enemy from penetrating the City.  High on top of this gate is an oblong marble inscription with an extract in Latin from the Bible taken from Psalms which means: “You have covered my head in the day of  battle”.  These words honour the City of Vittoriosa for its crucial role during the Great Siege.  Reproduce the words in Latin:

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We enter the gate and walk along Telghat il-Mina l-Kbira(Main Gate Hill) and turn to Triq Boffa(Boffa Street) and now  we are in Birgu.

The most striking building here is the Prince of Wales Band Club which was reconstructed after the war when it was hit by bombs.  The façade consists of marbled steps and a large door with two columns on both sides and an open stone balustrade balcony.  On the top of the door there is the crest of the Prince of Wales.  What is it?

(9)………………………………………………………………………………………..

Next to the Band Club there is a shop with an interesting namesign originating during the British period.  The shop’s name is in fact the name of a famous battle cruiser from the Royal Navy which had its Base at Birgu.  What is the shop’s name?

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Further down the street there is an old building on the right hand side marked with a small tablet indicating the site of an old church dedicated to Saint George.  The veneration of Saint George in Malta goes back many years and it was also present in this Old City.  When the Knights came to Malta in 1530 they were accompanied by a group of people who settled in Birgu and adopted this church for their own use, as Saint George was their patron saint.  Who were these people?

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One cannot miss the huge building which consists of the Dominican Covent and the adjoining Church of the Annunciation, rebuilt after the war. The Dominicans established themselves in Birgu many years ago.  In which year did they first set foot in Birgu?

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Vittoriosa was the seat of the Inquisition.  One of the Inquisitors celebrated his First Solemn Mass at the Annunciation Church.   Later this same Inquisitor became Pope Alexander VII.  Who was he?

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We take the narrow street in front of the Annunciation Church called Triq il-Palazz ta’ l-Isqof(Bishop’s Palace Street). One of Malta’s post-war Prime Ministers was born in an old palatial house in this street.  You saw his Monument right inside Advance Gate.  Who is he?

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Further up this street is the building in classic architecture from which the street takes its name.  So you now know that the Bishop of Malta also had a seat at Birgu  in addition to his Cathedra at Mdina.  For a time he even had the Curia established at Birgu.  Who was the bishop who constructed this Palace?

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At the end of this street we are faced with a massive palazzo occupying an entire block.  It is high and built with large masonry.  It has elongated windows covered with heavy iron bars.  During the Great Siege it served as the Order’s Armoury for the storage of armaments and gunpowder. During the British rule it served as Hospital, as Barracks and later as a School.  It was called Il-Kwartier(The Quarters).  On the side entrance to the building someone fixed a nameplate with another fitting description to this building.  What is it?

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We walk down Triq Biswit il-Kwartier(Quarter Front Street) beyond its intersection with Triq Pacifico Scicluna(Pacifico Scicluna Street) and into an old typical stepped street lovingly decorated with plants.  At the bottom of the street high on the first storey of a building is a niche with a statue of a saint.  Who is the saint?

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Precisely opposite one notices the remains, now incorporated with the surrounding buildings, of one of the Auberges of the Knights before the erection of the new city of Valletta.  Which Auberge is this?

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We now turn to the left into what was once the principal street of Birgu when the Order of St John had its Head Quarters at Birgu.  It was then called Strada della Castiglia and is now called Triq Hilda Tabone(Hilda Tabone Street) in memory of this Vittoriosa-born soprano.  Further down the street one sees another classic style building, still in its original form, which served as Auberge even before the Great Siege, the Auberge de France.  It is now being used for a specific purpose.  What is it?

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We now turn into Triq il-Majjistral(North West Street), an ancient street still covered with cobbled stone. This leads to the beautifully preserved Auberge d’Angleterre.  Next to this Auberge stood the residence of a famous English Knight who was La Vallette’s secretary.  Who is this English Knight?

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Further up the street there is a wine bar.  At this point we turn to the right into Triq in-Nofs in-Nhar(South Street), a narrow street with 500-year old buildings.  We again turn to the right, going down the three low steps into Triq il-Lbic(South West Street).  In the past Malta’s national anthem would surely have been heard being played from one of the houses here!  The conductor of the string ensemble which played it for the first time was born in it.  Who is he?

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This street leads straight into Vittoriosa Square.  As soon as you come into the Square to your left you will find the Labour Party Club.  This occupies the house where two leading musicians and composers from Vittoriosa used to live. Who are they?

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To keep on the same musical note, we now admire the elegant façade of the St Lawrence Band Club with fine decorations and a magnificent wooden balcony and another long open balcony with an intricate wrought-iron rail. The latter rests on stone bracket supports in the form of lion heads.  How many of these can you see?

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On one side of Vittoriosa Square stands the Victory Monument erected in 1705.  It shows the personification of Malta in the form of a female warrior in full battle gear including a helmet, sword and shield. On the shield you can see the symbol of the Grand Master who ruled Malta when the Monument was set up.  What is the symbol?

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We now move downhill into Triq Nestu Laiviera(Nestu Laiviera Street). House No. 2 is the office of the Historical and Cultural Society.  What is the name of the house?

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We now reach Vittoriosa Wharf and approach the Church of St Lawrence.  In 1990 this Chuch celebrated the 900th anniversary of its foundation and that year also marked the visit of Pope John Paul II.  The Pope also visited Birgu.  What was the date of the Pope’s visit to Birgu?

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The Church of St Lawrence was designed by Lorenzo Gafa’ who was from Vittoriosa. In what year did the Church celebrate the 300th anniversary of its inauguration?

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We pass by the Domus Curialis(the Archpriest’s Residence) along St Lawrence Street and in front of Olde City Pub.  Further up the street at No. 116 there are two old stores which are now garages.  These formed part of a larger building, destroyed during the war, which saw the small beginnings about a century ago of one of Malta’s foremost business organizations and importers of motor vehicles, owners of Continental Showroom at Ta’ Xbiex.  Which is the organization referred to?

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A signpost showing a standing knight in armour indicates the presence in the area of a privately-owned and well-run museum which has become a tourist attraction at Vittoriosa.  What is the name of the Museum?

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We now go through the gate known as Admiralty Gate and as a point of interest, note the innumerable fossils embedded in the stones with which this gate is built.  Beyond the gate you come to the place where you had set off.

Thank you for following the history trail of Vittoriosa.  We hope you enjoyed it too.