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Then & Now: Can you guess where this 18th century shot was taken?
Times have truly changed!

Jillian Mallia

If this isn’t a major throwback, we don’t know what is! Can you recognise this popular spot in Malta’s capital of Valletta?

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A post shared by Katarina Gavurnik (@kgavurnik) on

MUZA, Malta’s National Art Museum, posted this beatufiul photo of “a detail from a late 18th-century plan of Valletta and its harbours by Sebastiano Ittar.” This square is one of the most prominent ones in the city and Ittar, together with his father, Stefano, designed the grand building on the left that still stands today.

It seems to be what is now known as Pjazza Regina and the magnificent building is the Biblioteca. The square is now filled with café’s chairs and tables offering up a cuppa as you relax in the sunlight. A statue of Queen Victoria now stands in front of the main entrance to the biblioteca, hence the name of the square.

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A post shared by Jesse (@jesseroscoe) on

26th February 2020


Jillian Mallia
Written by
Jillian Mallia
A book lover, writer and globetrotter who loves exploring new places and the local gems that the Maltese Islands have to offer. An avid foodie and arts fanatic, Jillian searches the island and beyond for the perfect settings to write about.

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