Valletta
WATCH: 30-year-old footage shows a drastically different Valletta
A hot sunny day during the Summer of 1992.

Emma Galea

A couple of videos shot by Martin Ciantar and uploaded to the Facebook nostalgia group ‘Malta Lura fil Passat’ show what Valletta looked like all the way back in 1992.

The video offers a nostalgic glimpse for those who remember Valletta during this time, while also giving a fascinating insight to those not yet born into how the capital looked over three decades ago.

The video above shows people going round their daily business around Malta’s capital city in their very distinctive 1980s- and 1990s-styled outfits. It was likely shot some time during the summer as traditional festa decorations can be observed. A lot more horse drawn carriages patiently waiting for tourists can also be seen.

But the highlight of the video is the footage of the extremely busy street market alongside Merchant’s Street. The market used to see the selling all kinds of different goods but today restaurants are found where it once stood.

On the other hand, the video below takes viewers right outside the Valletta entrance and shows the old bus terminus. The colourful buses, vehicles no longer used today, can be seen going round Tritoni Fountain carrying people from villages all across the country as they travelled to and from Malta’s capital city.

The video also captures all the different kinds of street vendors that used to sell various types of food and drink right outside the old city gate.

Do you remember Valletta looking like this? 

5th January 2025


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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