Walking through the streets of Floriana, it's hard to believe that beneath your feet lies a massive underground cistern, towering four storeys high and stretching over 50 meters in length.

Known as 'Il-Gibjun ta’ Vilhena' in Maltese, this impressive structure was built during the rule of Grandmaster Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, beneath what is now Floriana Primary School. It was designed by the renowned Italian architect Francesco Laparelli, who also designed the gardens near the city gate that bear his name, as well as much of Valletta.

In a YouTube video by Conrad Neil Gatt, alongside Steven Mallia and Antoine Psaila, the trio explore this underground marvel, uncovering intriguing details such as inscriptions on the walls that may date back to when the cistern was used as an air raid shelter during World War II.

This hidden gem will be open to the public from 10am to 5pm this Sunday 20th October as part of the 'Ġenna ta' Ġonna' event, offering visitors a rare opportunity to explore the cistern for the first time since the Second World War. Long forgotten and bone dry, it lies beneath the streets, unnoticed as thousands of cars pass overhead every day.

Had you ever heard about the Vilhena Underground Cistern?