Armoury

From the public entry to the Grand Master's Palace on Triq il-Merkanti it's possible to visit the Armoury (and the State Apartments). Heritage Malta conducts guided tours (included in the cost of admission) of the Armoury daily; tours and times are not set in stone, so it may be worth making advance enquiries.

The Armoury is now housed in what was once the Grand Master's stables. The armour and weapons belonging to the Knights were once stored at the Palace Armoury (now the Great Hall used by the parliament), and when a Knight died they became the property of the Order. The current collection of over 5000 suits of 16th- to 18th-century armour is all that remains of an original 25,000 suits - Napoleon's light-fingered activities, over-enthusiastic housekeeping by the British and general neglect put paid to the rest.

Some of the most interesting pieces are the breastplate worn by la Valette, the beautifully damascened (steel inlaid with gold) suit made for Alof de Wignacourt, and the captured Turkish sipahi armour. A second room contains displays of weapons, including crossbows, muskets, swords and pistols. To overcome the dearth of exhibit labelling, admission now includes a self-guided audio tour (available in six languages).