The torches will be lit, the food will be prepared, the exhibits will be in place, and the doors will be flung open for visitors to troop in and gaze in wonder, as Heritage Malta offers yet another spectacular event spread over a whole weekend – this time in Birgu on the 12th and 13th October.

On both dates, the Malta Maritime Museum, the Inquisitor’s Palace, and Fort St Angelo – all within walking distance of each other – are set to open till late with very low admission rates (just  €3 for all three sites), optional guided tours (at an extra charge), re-enactments, and a truly fascinating ambience on Saturday night, when all three sites will be illuminated with the flickering, warm light of candles and torches (hence the event name Museums by Candlelight). Suffice it to say that at Fort St Angelo alone, there will me more than 1,200 lit candles and torches! There will also be a live band at Fort St Angelo, traditional għana at the Inquisitor’s Palace, and a live band and a talk by ex-Dockyard workers at the Malta Maritime Museum. 

All three sites will open their doors at 9:00 am and remain open during extended hours – until 11:00 pm on Saturday and until 7:00 pm on Sunday – making this an excellent opportunity to make Birgu your base for some educational family fun that weekend. Should you feel peckish, Heritage Malta has got you sorted in that regard as well – Taste History, its gastronomic arm, will be creating some of its typical delicious fare for purchase at the Maritime Museum.

Besides the history and beauty of the three sites themselves, visitors can also enjoy the experience of the four exhibitions that are currently set up at two of them. The exhibition An Island at the Crossroads, at the Malta Maritime Museum, takes visitors on a journey through Malta’s salt-scented centuries, focusing on how our islands were always at the heart of navigation. 

The Inquisitor’s Palace, on the other hand, is currently housing three exhibitions. Fare Convito – The Archaeology of Banqueting in Hospitaller Malta delves into the intersection of food, art, and politics, revealing the intricate rituals of Baroque banqueting in Malta, and features items recovered through archaeological digs within the palace itself.

The highly immersive, newly-opened exhibition Betrayal and Vengeance: The Slaves’ Conspiracy of 1749 in 19 Historic Drawings transports its viewers amidst one of the most riveting and tense episodes in Malta’s annals, which could have swivelled the country’s destiny dramatically.

In Threads of Faith – Liturgical Vestments of the Order of St John, the refined garments worn by the clergy during the rule of the religious order on the islands, and even before (some pieces date back to 1496) come under the spotlight.

General admission tickets – combining admission to all three sites – are priced at €3 for the general public and will be available at the door. Entry is free for Heritage Malta Senior and Student Passport holders and members.

Those who wish to go the extra mile and get tickets for the guided tours, priced at €5 for each site, should book them from any Heritage Malta museum or site, or online here. Tours will be in both Maltese and English at all three sites. Some of the tours will be exclusively for Heritage Malta members.

The respective schedules may be accessed here.