Valletta
A glimpse of 1932! Shot of Zachary Street shows the Valletta of over 90 years ago
A time gone by!

Emma Galea

A photo shared by Alfred Pace onto the Facebook group ‘Valletta Photos’ gives us a glimpse of 1932 Malta!

The shot shows a very busy Zachary Street in Valletta.

One can spot a series of different shops alongside this characteristic Valletta street.

Some kind of activity or event must have been going on as there are many cars parked alongside the street and this was quite unusual for a typical day in Valletta. Some people in the comments section suggested that there might have been an opera taking place.

In fact, if you look closely and zoom in you can even spot the Royal Opera House in the background. This was before it was extensively destroyed during the aerial bombardments of World War II.

The shot was likely taken from St John’s Co-Cathedral and showcases the view in front of the impressive landmark.

Can you imagine roaming Valletta almost a century ago?

26th April 2026


Emma Galea
Written by
Emma Galea
Emma is a Gozitan writer who loves all things related to English literature and history. When not busy studying or writing you will either find her immersed in a fictional book or at the cinema trying to watch as many films as she possibly can!

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