Merchants Street
This street runs parallel with republic street and is the second main street of Valletta. In this street a number of ministries are located in building created by the Order of Malta.
Opposite the Auberge d'Italie and adjacent to the Auberge de Castille is Palazzo Parisio, famous or infamous because of the six-night stay of Napoleon Bonaparte in June 1798, when he wrested Malta from the Knights of Malta and had them expelled. The same family Parisio later on became for a time the owner of Palazzo Parisio in Naxar. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is now at home in the palace.
In the next block there is Palazzo Castellania and was the home of the Law Courts of the Order of Malta. A castellan was in the medieval ages a castle owner, later on a castel became a bulwark of peace and order, hence the law courts. On its façade there is a sculpture, an allegory of Justice, Truth and Reputation.
Further down at the back of the Grand Masters palace one can find the 'suq', the old covered market place which is now being restored. It will resume its function after completion.
St Dominic's Basilica is at the intersection of Merchants street and St Dominic's Street, built around 1571. It was dedicated to it patron-saint the Madonna of Porto Salvo (safe haven, referring to both the Church and the Grand Harbour as safe places).
Further down there is the Old University of Malta, Valletta Campus, which is also used as conference venue.
At the end of Merchants Street, across the road, one may find Fort St Elmo.
Address and street / location can be found on our map, click on Guide in the menu bar and you will get a map with markers. |
Additional information
Entrance Auberge d'Italie
This "Merchants Street" page is part of “The Malta Magazine”.
This magazine is for every resident and visitor to the country of Malta. But is also educational and for anyone interested in Malta. The Malta Magazine highlights the past and present of specific subjects and/or places of interest with the help of extensive information and photos.
As a tool during your journey of discovery through Malta, you can use our information services free of charge. You can do this in two ways, via our website https://maltaguide.pro or our app depending on your operating system, Google Play or Apple Store. Both give you the same information.
“The Malta magazine” is the best, ultimate and most comprehensive magazine you can get of Malta.
The magazine is growing fast and will soon contain more than 350 interesting topics.
Find and discover interesting sights and discover the many historical secrets of the country Malta. Find all things to do and places of interest in your exploration.
“The Malta magazine” is also convenient whether you are walking, driving a car, or using the hop-on and hop-off bus trip, boat trip, etc.
“The Malta magazine” provides you with general information about the sights, Malta’s beauty, secrets, history and culture, its architecture, fortifications, etcetera and specific information as: what took place here?; When was it built and by whom?; What are the functions of all these.
“The Malta magazine” describes also religious subjects, museums, parks, places of interest, public toilets and much more useful information. Interesting texts set up by local experts and additional informative photos make this app distinctive.
“The Malta magazine” answers many questions and shows in an easy way to navigate way where the sights are located. A great landmap and citymap made specifically for you, is a great tool. You can immediately see where you are and where the sights are.
In this "Malta Magazine" you will find the location, address, opening hours and admission / entrance fee, general additional information and news about the spot.
Everything in “The Malta magazine” is easy to operate, without any knowledge and suitable for young and old.
“The Malta magazine” is free while you normally would pay for a guided tour, you may enjoy navigating through Malta on your own terms.
“The Malta magazine” is constantly maintained about: attractions which are closed due to renovation, changed entrance fees or opening times, etc. This maintenance costs a lot of money. However, it has been decided not to include annoying advertisements. The “The Malta magazine” has no hidden costs.
The skillfielly texts are written by local experts and additional informative photos make “The Malta magazine” information provision distinctive.