Stepping in off Republic Square, you reach the library that holds the Knights of St John's archives, from 1107 to 1798, and the order's own collection of historic books.
Landmark, Valletta. Meridian Dispatch.
From 1 October to 15 June, the library opens Monday to Friday from 08:15 until late afternoon and on Saturday mornings. From 16 June to 30 September it opens Monday to Saturday from 08:15 to 13:15. Check the Malta Libraries site for the current closing time.
Yes, for its exhibitions. Malta Libraries opens the exhibitions it hosts on the premises of the Bibliotheca, the reference library on Republic Square, to the public free of charge.
A working library. Malta Libraries calls the Bibliotheca solely a research and reference library, and it has been a legal deposit library since 1925, though it also hosts exhibitions open to the public.
Stefano Ittar and his son Sebastiano, Polish-Italian architects, designed the late 18th-century neoclassical building on the square. Valletta around it is ornate Baroque, so the library stands out as one of the city's best-known buildings in a contrasting style.
The holdings go well beyond the order's papers. Together with the University of Malta, the library keeps the largest collection of Melitensia, the books and documents written about Malta itself. Another collection traces the fortifications of Malta and Gozo through each phase of their building.
Before going in, look at the statue of Queen Victoria in front of the building. It stands slightly out of alignment, which is said to be bomb damage from the Second World War.
The library fronts Republic Square in the middle of Valletta, opposite Caffe Cordina, the oldest coffee shop in the city. The Grandmaster's Palace stands close by in the city centre, so the two buildings make one short walk.
Often called the Bibliotheca, it is a research and reference library, but drop-in visitors may enter during opening hours. It also takes organised visits.
Ask at the entrance which exhibition is on. Treat the stop as a look inside a working library.
Stay in Valletta and two harbours are a short walk from your bed: the Barrakka Lift takes you down to the Grand Harbour for the ferry to the Three Cities, and on the other side of the city the Sliema ferry crosses Marsamxett.
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