WP3 D9 3.1 Thematic Itineraries Brochure · suffocating scenario implacably whipped by the rain. Prisoner of his torment, the man reaches Forti Sant' Anġlu (Fort Saint Angelo), one

THEMATIC ITINERARIES - VALLETTA, MALTA

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MALTAThe Island

Behind the MythsTHEMATIC ITINERARIESEXPLORED IN MALTA

N°1 Discovering the Malta Story under the Plangent RainN°2 In memoriam of SimsharN°3 Valletta in the II World War: Malta’s story & best kept war secretsN°4 Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra Archaeological Park - UNESCO world Heritage site

FAMOUS - FILM FESTIVALS AND MOVIE TOURISM ACROSS UNESCO SITES

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Malta’s origins as mythical land, therefore, come from afar. With 7.000 years of culture and history, Malta is home to many myths and legends. The islands of Gozo and Malta have logged appearances in Homer’s Odyssey and The Bible, and Malta itself has even been proposed as the site of Atlantis.

These stories have been a source of inspiration for artists for centuries. This attraction intensified during the period when Malta was under the British colonial rule, and the island, more than a bastion or citadel, became considered an exotic enclave in the middle of the Mediterranean, halfway between the East and the West. Malta’s intimidating fortifications suddenly were seen as a vestige of a past from where medieval knights defended the values of their civilization against the dangers lurking across the ocean. Inspired by the islander way of living, Romantic poet Lord Byron, for instance, described La Valletta as an island of "bells, yells and smells”.

Valetta, the City of Knights, situated on the Sceberras peninsula divides into two areas; the Grand Harbour on the southwest and the Marsamxett Harbour on the northwest. The city is listed under UNESCO-world-heritage for its harmonious collection of baroque architecture, imposing military forts,

elegant church domes and spires piercing its skyline, richly embellished palazzos and towering townhouses with bright green wooden balconies.

This massive fort has several rooms that reflect its crucial role in the Maltese history. Beneath the fort lies a prison which was greatly feared and housed many high-ranking offenders within the order. In 1609 the famous painter Caravaggio was imprisoned at St Angelo after found guilty of injuring a knight during a quarrel.

Speaking of knights, it is mandatory to bring into the discussion some of the history of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights of Mata. The order was constituted around 1085, to look after the sick in Jerusalem, and it wasn’t until the crusades that they started to be a military corps. The knights settled in Malta in 1530 (after leaving Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Cyprus), thanks to the mercy of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who gave them the lands and the authorization. By then, Malta was a frontier between the Christian and the Muslim alliance.

In the act of donation of Malta, Charles V also included the islands of Gozo and Tripoli. In exchange, the Order obliged itself to make an annual tribute to the emperor and his mother, Joanna of Castille. Payable every All Saints day, the tribut consisted in the delivery of a falcon.

The history of the Maltese falcon has inspired many works. Among them is the first John Houston film, starring Humphrey Bogart, which was shot in 1941, to adapt a novel of Dashet Hammett with the same name. In the film, considered the first of noir cinema, the gift falcon was actually a piece covered in jewels and diamonds.

According to historians, the great grand entrance in Malta of the first commander of the kinghts of St John, Philippe Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, took place ion 26 October 1530, day in which he sailed into Malta's Grand Harbour to take claim of the island.

Malta’s Grand Harbour commands the respect of many sailors, visitors and historians of all nationalities. This deep natural

MALTAThe IslandBehind the Myths

N°1 Discovering the Malta Story under the Plangent Rain

N°2 In memoriam of Simshar

N°3 Valletta in the II World War: Malta’s story & best kept

war secrets

N°4 Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra Archaeological Park -

UNESCO world Heritage site

Thematic itinerariesexplored in Malta

Locations from the following films are included in this itinerary:

- Plangent Rain (2008)

- Malta Story (1953)

Malta’s Seaside, under the Plangent RainThis route is dedicated to the short film Plangent Rain (watch here). Through an adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet, Plangent Rain comprises the essence of the island in a story that shows La Valletta as a site tainted by the anguish of its protagonist. The silent bells that warn of the nearness of death, the smell of the sea, the yells of a man who seeks revenge... Who said you can’t have Byron and Shakespeare at the same time?

The main character in the film is a young man who is torn between his natural ineptitude and the need to break away from the clutches of his bleak environment. As the son of a sailor, the boy lives a mockery of his father's life, rowing a rotting boat across an ancient harbour.

Plangent Rain explores the man’s frustration with his life, and the union between his overbearing mother and his devious uncle. Soaked in a dark, liquefied decrepitude, La Valletta goes from being the idyllic, sunny and warm place we are used to contemplating in postcards and advertisements, to a suffocating scenario implacably whipped by the rain.

Prisoner of his torment, the man reaches Forti Sant' Anġlu (Fort Saint Angelo), one of Malta’s most well-known landmarks. It was fortified in 1530, when the Order of Saint John came to the island.

harbour has been regarded as a safe refuge since ancient times. Breathtaking views of Fort St. Angelo, Fort Ricasoli and the historic Three Cities of Bormla, Birgu and Isla, on one side and the magnificent re-developed Pinto Vaults on the other.

As you might be expecting, being a story whose protagonist is a fisherman, this harbour also appears in Plangent rain.

The life of sailors and fishers of Malta might be full of the wonders of the sea, but also of its dangers, as the exhibitions at the Malta Martitime Museum show. In 2008, the boat Simshar departed the coast of Malta on a fishing trip, expected to return on 11 July. The boat was carrying five people, among the crew, its relatives and a Somali man. At some point, a blast took place on board, destroying the boat.

The five people on board survived the blast and survived for several days adrift a makeshift raft made of floating debris from the blast. This incident was dramatized in the film Simshar (2014).

Christina Guan www.happytowander.com


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N°1. Discovering the Malta Story under the Plangent Rain



















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The Grand Master's PalaceThe Grand Master's Palace was once the residence of the Grand Masters of the Knights of St John and was connected to a secret tunnel to allow the Grand Master to escape in case of attack.

The palace houses the famous Council Chamber which is decorated with valuable Gobelins tapestries woven in France, the former Hall of the Supreme Council of the Knights with its fine frescoes and the Hall of the Ambassadors, with its red damask walls decorated with precious furniture and frescoes depicting episodes of the history of the Order of St. John by the artist Joel lo Spada.

On the basement floor lies the pride of the palace, the Armoury, exhibiting one of the largest collections of its kind in the world. The Armoury houses around 5,000 of the original 25,000 Knights of St John suits of armour, weapons including crossbows, muskets, swords and pistols.

Casa Rocca PiccolaOne of the last lived palaces in Valetta is Casa Rocca Piccola, a privately owned and a much-loved family home. Casa Rocca Piccola is much more than a museum, it’s a valuable testimony of a fascinating era providing unique historical evidence into the customs and traditions of the Maltese nobility over the last 400 years.

Casa Rocca Piccola Bomb ShelterDark, damp, and fascinating, Casa Rocca Piccola is a fine example of privately-owned war shelters. Beneath Casa Rocca Piccola, lies its own bomb shelter cut in the limestone. During WWII the shelter provided protection not only to the house owners, but also to many neighbours. Up to 100 people were able to find safety here from the air-raids

Strait Street – Strada StrettaStrait Street, the most famous street in Malta, represents a fascinating period of time in Malta’s history, one in which people of different nationalities and classes intermingled together in a social context. Also known as “the Gut”, the street was the pinnacle of nightlife amongst American and British military men and Maltese frequenters between the 19th and mid-20th century. Strait Street is the result of the need to create optimism in an era haunted by war.

In the film, the street becomes an intimidating gorge the Boy must traverse. Filled with echoes of the past and portents of the future, a strait – and supposedly straight – locus that folds upon itself, the street is a seething, living gauntlet from which the Boy is ejected sadder and unconsciously wiser to the fact that to that darkness he shall yet return.

The area has been selected for the strong ‘expressionist’ atmosphere that is inspiring when filmed in black and white.


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N°2. In Memoriam of Simshar

Locations from the film SIMSHAR (2014) are included in this itinerary:

- Marsaxlokk, a charming little fishing village

- Malta Film Studios Water Tanks

Based on true events, Simshar tells the story of a traditional Maltese fishing family who are left stranded in open water when an accident occurs on their rickety fishing boat. Meanwhile, also in the Mediterranean Sea, a Turkish merchant vessel rescues African migrants, but cannot disembark when neither Malta nor Italy will accept responsibility. The sea survival stories unravel in parallel and culminate tragically when the fishermen are mistaken for irregular migrants. A short trip departing from La Valletta can take us to the current locations of the film.

Simshar was filmed entirely on location in Malta: at the Malta Film Studios Water Tanks, in open water and on locations around the island. The main scenes of the film have been filmed in the Marsaxlokk fishing village.

Marsaxlokk Fishing VillageThis charming little fishing village, sitting at the south eastern tip of Malta is popular for its daily open-air market, its fine fish restaurants, peaceful walks around the coast and harbour, the colourful luzzu boats and its secluded and untainted swimming areas.

These traditional and distinctive Maltese boats bobbing in the harbor are more than the average fishing boats. Known as luzzus, are brightly painted in bright red, green, yellow and blue

and they have the traditional eye of Osiris on both sides to protect fishermen out at sea. It is said that Luzzus date back to 800 BC when the Phoenicians came to Malta.

If you are lucky enough you might see the fishermen tending to their nets before they go out to sea for their next catch.

As you walk along the banks of the harbour, you will witness the locations at which the most impressive scenes of the film have been shot.

Another site of the village appearing in the movie is the amazing Roman Catholic church, devoted to Our Lady of Pompei, worth visiting for its beautiful gold, white and red indoors. Take special note of the historical statues that decorate the building and the superb paintings by Maltese artist Giuseppe Calì.



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Marsaxlokk is without a doubt a village to which any person interested in entering and getting to know the regional life of the island should approach. If you spend a few days on the island and feel like a change of scenery, a trip to Marsaxlokk is an excellent idea. A fascinating opportunity to mix with the locals and experience everyday Maltese life.

The popular Marsaxlokk fish market takes place every Sunday and offers fresh-off-the-boat fish. The most popular fish in Malta are the Swordfish and blue fin tuna. During spring and autumn dophin fish or Dorado, known locally as ‘lampuki’ is caught in abundance and is very popular with the locals. Also, Marsaxlokk Fort Delimara may not be as grand as the fortifications of Valletta, but its unique location, built into the cliff face, is a sight to behold. The fort is in endangered due to coastal erosion and you can only see it from the outside with a walking tour or boat ride around Delimara Point.

- Locations from the film Malta Story (1953) are included in this itinerary.

Although it is true that there are several enclaves along the island very attractive for filmmakers, it is the old town of Valletta that takes the lead. Last year, the capital of Malta was consolidated as the most selected location by filmmakers to shoot on the island. Before 2018, Gozo was preferred. Overall, Malta is the 81st most filmed country in the world (the top one is the US with 139,506 films made there, ahead of the second placed UK, with 25,768).

The Second World War made a huge impact on the capital of Malta, as the film Malta story documents. In World War II, the island of Malta, strategically located and vital to supply lines in the Mediterranean Sea, is fiercely attacked by the Germans, but staunchly defended by the British.

The movie was originally called The Bright Flame and was based on the real siege of Malta to which a fictional storyline is created. Lt Ross falls in love with a Maltese girl, Maria, whose brother is hanged as a spy by the British. This film was shot at various locations around the island including the Lascaris War Rooms, Fort St Elmo, Grand Harbour, the Qali and the Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra megalithic and, of course, the Valletta Waterfront.

N°3. Valletta in the Second World War: Malta’s Story & War Best Kept Secrets

Valletta WaterfrontAn impressive waterfront with nineteen historical warehouses built by Grand Master Pinto at the pick of the baroque period in Malta.

Valletta Waterfront is stretching along the water’s edge and the historical Quay Wall where the Knights of St John and European merchants used to unload their wares.

Fort Saint ElmoMalta’s story is one of a bunch of movies that have been shot in Fort Saint Elmo, which was first erected in the 16th century but later experienced some changes deppending on the forces dominating the island in each historical period.

Built by the Knights of the Order of St John in 1552, named after the patron saint of mariners, this fort has been Guarding Marsamxett and Grand Harbour through the times. The fortifications consist of several walled cities, citadels, forts and towers.

National War MuseumFort Saint Elmo houses the National War Museum which exhibits a superb collection of items taking visitors back in time.

While in the museum, take a WAR H.Q. TUNNEL TOUR, to experience the feeling of WWII and get a more detailed description of the role of Malta during the war.

Nearby the National War Museum don’t miss the opportunity to visit the following two heritage sites that do not go unnoticed.

Malta Film Studios Water TanksVisit this 90,000 square feet water studio complex, located a few minutes south of the capital of Valletta on the edge of a natural harbour over-looking the Mediterranean. Part of the Simshar filming took place here at the Mediterranean Film Studio (MFS) in a controlled environment.

Malta Film Studios (MFS) boasts of one indoor tank and two large exterior water tanks situated along the coast and therefore enjoying a natural horizon. MFS is also reputed for set construction, especially for boat building and model-making.

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Although it is true that there are several enclaves along the island very attractive for filmmakers, it is the old town of Valletta that takes the lead. Last year, the capital of Malta was consolidated as the most selected location by filmmakers to shoot on the island. Before 2018, Gozo was preferred. Overall, Malta is the 81st most filmed country in the world (the top one is the US with 139,506 films made there, ahead of the second placed UK, with 25,768).

The Second World War made a huge impact on the capital of Malta, as the film Malta story documents. In World War II, the island of Malta, strategically located and vital to supply lines in the Mediterranean Sea, is fiercely attacked by the Germans, but staunchly defended by the British.

The movie was originally called The Bright Flame and was based on the real siege of Malta to which a fictional storyline is created. Lt Ross falls in love with a Maltese girl, Maria, whose brother is hanged as a spy by the British. This film was shot at various locations around the island including the Lascaris War Rooms, Fort St Elmo, Grand Harbour, the Qali and the Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra megalithic and, of course, the Valletta Waterfront.

Valletta WaterfrontAn impressive waterfront with nineteen historical warehouses built by Grand Master Pinto at the pick of the baroque period in Malta.

Valletta Waterfront is stretching along the water’s edge and the historical Quay Wall where the Knights of St John and European merchants used to unload their wares.

Fort Saint ElmoMalta’s story is one of a bunch of movies that have been shot in Fort Saint Elmo, which was first erected in the 16th century but later experienced some changes deppending on the forces dominating the island in each historical period.

Built by the Knights of the Order of St John in 1552, named after the patron saint of mariners, this fort has been Guarding Marsamxett and Grand Harbour through the times. The fortifications consist of several walled cities, citadels, forts and towers.

National War MuseumFort Saint Elmo houses the National War Museum which exhibits a superb collection of items taking visitors back in time.

While in the museum, take a WAR H.Q. TUNNEL TOUR, to experience the feeling of WWII and get a more detailed description of the role of Malta during the war.

Nearby the National War Museum don’t miss the opportunity to visit the following two heritage sites that do not go unnoticed.


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St. John’s Co-cathedralBuilt by the Knights of St John, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, this Cathedral is an exceptional monument to the high baroque.

Don’t be fooled by its strict stone exterior, stepping into St John’s Co-Cathedral is like stepping into a glittering jewellery box. The cathedral houses the painting of “the Beheading of St. John the Baptist” a well-known painting by the famous Caravaggio.

Victoria Gate The Victoria Gate was built by the British in 1885 to honour their Queen Victoria. The gate is the only surviving gate within the fortifications of Valetta and is the main entrance into the city from the Grand Harbour area.

Fort Saint Elmo has appeared in the big screen doubling other scenarios (that is, representing other parts of the world). In “The Count of Monte Cristo”, Fort Saint Elmo doubled Marseille, and in the espionage drama “A Different Loyalty”, in which Fort Saint Elmo was presented as a building of Beirut and in Midnight Express, Fort Saint Elmo, doubled a Turkish prision!

A final stroll along the promenade can discover some more detail about Malta as a cinematographic location. The shores of the island have served to illustrate historical dramas and war films, but also of love. On the island of Gozo, of which we have already spoken, the film By the Seaside, starring Brat Pitt and Angelina Jolie, was shot just a few years ago. Set in France during the mid-1970s, the film explores the troubled relationship with Roland, an American writer, and her wife Vanessa, a former dancer. They decide to travel Malta together in a moment in which they seem to be growing apart. They are unable to fix their marriage until linger in one quiet, seaside town of Malta. Then, they begin to draw close to some of its

more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local café-keeper and a hotel owner.

At the end of the promenade, the Upper Barrakka gardens wait for us: they aare built on top of a bastion, on the highest point of Valletta and provide a space of peace and shade in the heart of the capital city.

The gardens offer fantastic views of the Grand Harbour, the cities of Senglea, Vittoriosa and Kalkara. Every day at noon, members of the Malta Heritage Society (dressed in British Artillery uniforms) visit the gardens and fire a salute.

A unique viewpoint to see once more all the places we have visited on this route and to which (luckily!) we can return over and over thanks to the cinema.

Lascaris War RoomsLascaris War Rooms is strongly linked to the II World War in Malta. These rooms, named after Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, an Italian nobleman and also the Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta, are located 400 feet under the Upper Barrakka Gardens and represent one of Malta’s best kept secrets from the II World War.

This ultra-secret complex is composed o f a network of tunnels and chambers underground. The Lascaris War Rooms housed British’s War headquarters in Malta from where all the defence and offensive operations in the Mediterranean were directed.

In July 1943, the War Rooms were used by General Eisenhower and his Supreme Commanders as their advance Allied HQ for Operation Husky - the invasion of Sicily. Those interested in this particular episode of the II World War shall watch the Canadian military documentary Bond of Strangers, a 54-minute piece that follows ten intrepid trekkers on their 20-day act of extreme remembrance, discovering the special bonds that form among them and with the local people who remember the liberation of

1943. The documentary was part of a transmedia project to disseminate the insights of the Husky operation, which culminated in this website offering a digital experience to rediscover its origins, development and unfolding with original materials.

After the war, Lascaris War Rooms became the Mediterranean Fleet HQ, playing an important role in the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt during the Suez crisis in 1956, going into full alert for a number of days during the Cuban Missile Crises of 1962. In 1967 it was taken by NATO to be used as a strategic Communication Centre for the interception of Soviet submarines in the Mediterranean.

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N°4. Hagar Qim & Mnajdra Archaeological Park - Unesco World Heritage Site


Walk or catch a bus to the West, circling the shore and rising towards the archaeological park. Cross the natural rock formations of Wied iż-Żurrieq, a tiny harbour, set in a narrow inlet in the cliffs and guarded by a watchtower. Here, boats depart, weather permitting, for enjoyable 30-minute cruises to the Blue Grotto, a huge natural arch in the sea cliffs 400m to the east.

The boat trips take you in seven caves, including the Honeymoon Cave, Reflection Cave and Cat's Cave. The best time to visit the caves is before mid-morning, when the sun is shining into the grotto.

Wied iż-Żurrieq is also known for its traditional fish restaurants, spectacular sunsets and panoramic views to the Filfla island which is located further west from the coastline.

Some 10 minutes’ drive towards north is ĦAĠAR QIM, an archaeological complex, with the megalithic temples, called MNAJDRA.

This extraordinary Megalithic temple complex, UNESCO world Heritage site, conveys a strong energy and spirituality.

The temple complex consists of three structures from different prehistoric periods, adjacently joined to one another but not connected.

St. John’s Co-cathedralBuilt by the Knights of St John, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, this Cathedral is an exceptional monument to the high baroque.

Don’t be fooled by its strict stone exterior, stepping into St John’s Co-Cathedral is like stepping into a glittering jewellery box. The cathedral houses the painting of “the Beheading of St. John the Baptist” a well-known painting by the famous Caravaggio.

Victoria Gate The Victoria Gate was built by the British in 1885 to honour their Queen Victoria. The gate is the only surviving gate within the fortifications of Valetta and is the main entrance into the city from the Grand Harbour area.

Fort Saint Elmo has appeared in the big screen doubling other scenarios (that is, representing other parts of the world). In “The Count of Monte Cristo”, Fort Saint Elmo doubled Marseille, and in the espionage drama “A Different Loyalty”, in which Fort Saint Elmo was presented as a building of Beirut and in Midnight Express, Fort Saint Elmo, doubled a Turkish prision!

A final stroll along the promenade can discover some more detail about Malta as a cinematographic location. The shores of the island have served to illustrate historical dramas and war films, but also of love. On the island of Gozo, of which we have already spoken, the film By the Seaside, starring Brat Pitt and Angelina Jolie, was shot just a few years ago. Set in France during the mid-1970s, the film explores the troubled relationship with Roland, an American writer, and her wife Vanessa, a former dancer. They decide to travel Malta together in a moment in which they seem to be growing apart. They are unable to fix their marriage until linger in one quiet, seaside town of Malta. Then, they begin to draw close to some of its

more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local café-keeper and a hotel owner.

At the end of the promenade, the Upper Barrakka gardens wait for us: they aare built on top of a bastion, on the highest point of Valletta and provide a space of peace and shade in the heart of the capital city.

The gardens offer fantastic views of the Grand Harbour, the cities of Senglea, Vittoriosa and Kalkara. Every day at noon, members of the Malta Heritage Society (dressed in British Artillery uniforms) visit the gardens and fire a salute.

A unique viewpoint to see once more all the places we have visited on this route and to which (luckily!) we can return over and over thanks to the cinema.

Lascaris War RoomsLascaris War Rooms is strongly linked to the II World War in Malta. These rooms, named after Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, an Italian nobleman and also the Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta, are located 400 feet under the Upper Barrakka Gardens and represent one of Malta’s best kept secrets from the II World War.

This ultra-secret complex is composed o f a network of tunnels and chambers underground. The Lascaris War Rooms housed British’s War headquarters in Malta from where all the defence and offensive operations in the Mediterranean were directed.

In July 1943, the War Rooms were used by General Eisenhower and his Supreme Commanders as their advance Allied HQ for Operation Husky - the invasion of Sicily. Those interested in this particular episode of the II World War shall watch the Canadian military documentary Bond of Strangers, a 54-minute piece that follows ten intrepid trekkers on their 20-day act of extreme remembrance, discovering the special bonds that form among them and with the local people who remember the liberation of

1943. The documentary was part of a transmedia project to disseminate the insights of the Husky operation, which culminated in this website offering a digital experience to rediscover its origins, development and unfolding with original materials.

After the war, Lascaris War Rooms became the Mediterranean Fleet HQ, playing an important role in the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt during the Suez crisis in 1956, going into full alert for a number of days during the Cuban Missile Crises of 1962. In 1967 it was taken by NATO to be used as a strategic Communication Centre for the interception of Soviet submarines in the Mediterranean.

The South Temple is the most famous of the three because is aligned with the rising sun at the equinoxes and solstices. If you visit the temple at sunrise on the first day of any of the four seasons, you’ll have a remarkable experience.

As the sun rises above the Ħaġar Qim hill, a ray of sun enters the main door and hits one of two large slabs on the inside of the temple, depending on the season. Both slabs are decorated with hundreds of tiny holes. The presence of remains around the temples suggest that they were just a part of a much larger ritual centre.

End this experience by catching a pleasure boat to experience the southern shore from the sea.


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AccommodationWe suggest visiting the following link: https://www.visitmalta.com/en/hotels

TransportationFrom the airportFor individual travellers who arrive at Valetta airport/port from overseas we suggest the following means of transport:- Get a Taxi from the airport/port- Rent a car from the airport/port (Avis, Budget, Sixth rent a car etc.)- Get the bus https://www.publictransport.com.mt/airport-servicesFor travellers who have booked organized excursions they will have their transfer from the airport to their chosen hotel and their excursions will be carried out by a coach with an experienced guide.

Within the city and watterfront https://www.publictransport.com.mt/en/route/130

Calendar of Eventshttps://www.visitmalta.com/en/home

Documents

WP3 D9 3.1 Thematic Itineraries Brochure · suffocating scenario implacably whipped by the rain. Prisoner of his torment, the man reaches Forti Sant' Anġlu (Fort Saint Angelo), one