Christmas atmosphere in Castille Place(Valletta), Malta
At the beginning of December 2022 we had a short vacation in Malta, if you want you can check my older posts to learn more about the sights we visited and I haven't yet managed to share with you all the places we went to.
So today I thought to share with you a little bit of the atmosphere of December 2022, a month of celebrations, of gifts, a magical month, I must admit that Malta left me open-mouthed, it is so beautiful and with many special places.
Today started at the hotel with breakfast, our accommodation was in St. Julian's, but we didn't stay here, we wanted to explore the capital of Malta, Valletta, I find it very interesting that Valletta is the smallest capital in the European Union.
In Malta we could have traveled by bus, but this mode of transportation was totally wrong, the schedule was not respected, so we resorted to the most efficient way of getting around, uber, which I didn't find very expensive.
For today we chose to explore the area of Castillia Square, from what I saw on the internet there are plenty of tourist attractions in the area and right here in the square we found the information that we can find Christmas decorations, I honestly don't know why here in Malta the Christmas spirit and holiday decorations are not like here in Romania.
Our first stop was the former British Garrison Chapel, and here in Valletta I had the feeling that in every direction I looked I had something to see and photograph.
Construction on the Garrison Chapel currently housing the premises of the Malta Stock Exchange began in 1855 and was completed two years later in 1857. The construction of the Garrison Chapel came about as a result of the confluence of a number of factors. During this period the British Imperial Government embarked on a programme of building a number of schools throughout the British Empire aimed at the education not only of the children of military and naval personnel but also for the instruction of soldiers and sailors themselves, who, at that time, were largely uneducated. Similar buildings were in fact built throughout the British Empire including the Indian sub-continent. In the mid-1850s Malta was already under British rule and its strategic position particularly as a naval base, had already been recognised. Around this time, Queen Adelaide, consort to King William IV and a very devout lady, during a visit to Malta, expressed her concern that the troops in Malta did not have a place of worship of their own and encouraged the building of a Church for this use. Indeed, while military and naval activity on the Island during that time was considerable, there was no multi-denominational or Anglican Church in Malta. Numerous military and naval personnel were stationed on the Island or passed through as the British navy and military crossed the Empire. The outbreak of the Crimean War in 1853 resulted in significantly more troop traffic through the Grand Harbour and its surrounding areas further increasing the number of troops and their families needing to be educated. Interestingly, therefore, the Garrison Chapel was planned and built to be used for a dual purpose. During the week it was used as a school, while on Sunday’s it was used as a multi-denominational place of worship.
The next building that attracted us from this area was the Auberge de Castille.
The Auberge de Castille is an auberge in Valletta, originally built in the 1570s to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Castile, León and Portugal. The present building dates back to the 1740s, when it was completely rebuilt during the magistracy of Manuel Pinto da Fonseca. The new auberge was built in the Baroque style, and it has been called “probably the finest building in Malta”. It now houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta.
We didn't miss the Castille Hotel, then we walked through the square and there were some decorations in tune with December, but unfortunately nothing special.
Next stop Church of St Catherine of Italy.
The church was built in 1576 by the Italian knights of St John to serve as their church. It was built adjacent to the Auberge d'Italie. Girolamo Cassar was commissioned to draw up the plans. In the 17th century the church was enlarged. An octagonal church was added to the existing chapel. The original chapel was changed into the sanctuary of the church. The church underwent a major restoration from 2001 till 2011. Today the church still serves as the parish church of the Italian community of Malta.
I have left for the end of this post ,, fortifications ditch,, I managed to shoot this place both day and night and a few more pictures from the Maltese streets.
Now in the end I have to admit that Valletta (Castille Square area) didn't give me those strong feelings of the holidays, but don't get me wrong in terms of sightseeing Valletta is top and I really advise you to visit Malta, it is spectacular.
THE END!
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P.S. The attached picture you have just seen are taken by me with my mobile phone(Samsung Galaxy S21), and the text is also designed by me.
Yours @triplug😉
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