The National Museum of Fine Arts
The building was originally one of the earliest to be built in Valletta and served as residence to successive Knights of the Order of St John. It was later largely rebuilt during the 1760s by Fra Ramon de Sousa y Silva, a wealthy Portuguese knight of the Order of St John, and adopted as his private residence. During the early nineteenth century the palace was home to Louis-Charles of Orleans, Comte de Beaujolais during his brief stay on the island followed shortly by his demise. By the 1820‘s the palace became known as Admiralty House and seat of the Commander-in Chief of the British Mediterranean Fleet. Two marble plaques strategically placed on each side of the grand staircase list its residents including high ranking personalities such as Lord Mountbatten of Burma. The palace also welcomed high-profile dignitaries including British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, King George V and Queen Elizabeth of England.
The palace was officially inaugurated as the National Museum of Fine Arts
Areas of the museum are currently being refurbished and the collection re-proposed within a more informative and appealing setting. The museum is run by Heritage Malta, the national agency for Museums and Cultural Heritage.
Open Daily from 9.00 a.m. to 5.15 p.m.
Closed on Good Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
