An old photograph shared on social media takes one back to a Republic Street from 1967 that is almost unrecognisable!
If you’ve visited Valletta recently, there’s a good chance you spent some time walking down Republic Street, one of the main streets in the capital city. What you might not know is that this street was historically known as Strada Reale (which in Maltese translates to Strada Rjali) or Kingsway.
In fact, the street has had its name changed several times throughout history - during the Order of St. John it was known ‘Strada San Giorgio’, during the French occupation of Malta it was named ‘Rue Nationale’ and during the colonisation of Malta by the British Empire it was named Strada Reale, which was later changed to Kingsway in 1936. On gaining independence, the Maltese gave the street its current title.
Several elements of the photo make it look totally different to how it is today – most noticeably the car driving down the road that we now know as a pedestrian area. Many of the signs advertising brands have been taken down too, although some still stand to this day. US Marines can be spotted walking down the right-hand side of the road, as back then Malta was still a hub of naval activity due to its harbours and strategic position.
Another identifiable feature still visible in the street today is the green corner balcony visible in the central part of the photograph. These were introduced to the streets in Valletta during the Order of St John as sculptural ornamentation at the many corners of the grid-like network of the city.
Can you imagine walking down the Republic Street of over 50 years ago?