St James' Cavalier

Valletta


This 16th-century fortification has been transformed into a dazzling arts centre encompassing galleries, theatre and a cinema. Recent exhibitions have encompassed contemporary Libyan art.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Valletta attractions

1. Pjazza de Valette

0.03 MILES

This square was inaugurated in 2012 on the site of the former police station. It's dedicated to Grand Master Valette, and dominated by a 2.5m-high statue…

2. Royal Opera House

0.04 MILES

Built in the 1860s, the once imperious Opera House was destroyed during a German air raid in 1942. Its gutted shell was left as a reminder of the war, and…

3. Auberge de Castille

0.04 MILES

On Pjazza Kastilja, pause to admire the facade of the Auberge de Castille, designed by the architect Andrea Belli in 1741. It adorns a 16th-century…

4. MUŻA

0.05 MILES

MUŻA is a 2018 incarnation of Malta's Museum of Fine Arts, which closed in a previous location in 2016. Sited in the Auberge d'Italie, a 16th-century…

5. Parliament Building

0.05 MILES

Renzo Piano's breathtaking Parliament Building was completed in 2014. Its design includes two massive volumes of stone that look suspended in air, but are…

6. Palazzo Parisio

0.06 MILES

Now housing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this mansion built in the 1740s combines neoclassical and baroque influences, and was the residence of…

7. City Gate

0.09 MILES

The Renzo Piano–designed City Gate forms part of the architect's dramatic and harmonious development. It echoes the dimensions of the original 1633…

8. Upper Barrakka Gardens

0.1 MILES

These colonnaded gardens perched high above Grand Harbour were created in the late 16th century as a relaxing haven for the Knights from the nearby…