Malta Museums

The National Museum of Fine Arts

One of the most visited Malta Museums, the National Museum of Fine Arts is managed by Heritage Malta, which is the Maltese agency for cultural heritage.

Located in the capital of Malta Valletta, this museum is housed in a palace which was one of the earliest buildings in the city.

The palace was however very much completely rebuilt in the 1760s. It was rebuilt by a rich knight from the Order of St John, who was called Bali Fra Ramon de Sousa y Silva.

In the 19th century, the palace also served as a private residence to many high-ranking personalities.

In 1974, the palace was turned into a Fine Arts museum and opened for the general public to enjoy.

What will you see at Malta’s National Museum of Fine Arts?

The museum features mainly paintings from the 15th century till the 20th century, as well as sculpture works, antique Malta furniture (17th and 18th century) and Maiolica and Maltese silverware. Most of the paintings are from Italian and Maltese artists.

Although the collection is quite small when compared to other National Fine Arts museums across Europe, this museum has some extraordinary works of art from the likes of Guido Reni, Jusepe Ribera, Albert Bierstadt, William Turner and even paintings from British poet Edward Lear.

The famous Baroque artist Mattia Preti features heavily in this museum and is worth looking out for. His work also features in many Maltese churches.

For a bit of local flavour, look out for paintings and works from famous Maltese artists Giuseppi Cali, Melchiorre Gafa and Antonio Sciortino which are also on display here.

Heritage Malta conducts guided tours at 11.00 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, free of charge.

National Museum of Fine Arts

Location: South Street, Valletta.

Opening Hours: Daily from 9.00 am till 5.00 pm.

Telephone: 21 225 769

Entrance Fee: Euro 5.00

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