The Malta Maritime Museum, the Inquisitor’s Palace and Fort St Angelo in Vittoriosa will be open with discounted rates, optional guided tours and extended hours on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, all three sites will also be illuminated with candles and torches, in the spirit of Birgufest, which has been cancelled this year.

Visitors to ‘Museums by Candlelight’ may also view four exhibitions on display at the three Heritage Malta sites.

An Island at the Crossroads, at the Malta Maritime Museum, takes visitors on a journey through Malta’s salt-scented centuries, focusing on how the islands were always at the heart of navigation. Delicious treats, exclusively prepared by Taste History, will also be available for purchase at the museum.

The Inquisitor’s Palace is currently housing Fare Convito – The Archaeology of Banqueting in Hospitaller Malta. The exhibition 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.

Fort St Angelo by candelight.

The highly immersive, newly-opened exhibition Betrayal and Vengeance – The Slaves Conspiracy of 1749 in 19 Historic Drawings transports its viewers amid 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 by the religious order on the islands, and even before, with invaluable pieces dating to 1496, come under the spotlight.

All three sites will open their doors at 9am and remain open until 11pm on Saturday, and until 7pm on Sunday. The optional guided tours will be taking place regularly, in both Maltese and English.

Tickets for the guided tours, priced at €5 for each site, are available for booking from all Heritage Malta museums and sites, and online on www.heritagemalta.mt/store in the coming days.

General admission tickets – combining admission to all three sites – are priced at €3 for the public, and free for Heritage Malta senior and student passport holders and members, and will be available at the door.