Valletta is the face that launched a thousand ovations. In Benjamin Disraeli’s words, it’s the “City of palaces built by gentlemen for gentlemen.” A baroque masterpiece, its silhouette has graced paintings – its austere, yet beautiful lines has inspired rhymes. And while being the smallest capital city in the EU, its grandeur is visible in every inch – with 320 monuments and 25 churches packed in an area less than one square kilometre.  

And the capital’s beauty shines even brighter when the individual doors are opened – from auberges and palaces to grand buildings and terraces perched on a view, Valletta’s architecture is neck-achingly staggering. 

After more than 450 years of gazing, is there anything left to discover in Malta’s capital? Other stories for the honey-coloured stone to tell?

There is. And that is the beauty of Valletta – after four centuries, it still has precious stones to show. And one of those is Casa Valdina

Forming part of a quartiere between South and Melita Streets – with its main door abutting the stairs of the upper Mikiel Anton Vassalli Street – Casa Valdina is a 16th century palazzo spread over one thousand square metres.

The history of Casa Valdina is an interesting chapter in the capital’s life

The palazzo has been structurally converted recently – and its rooms already hint at the property’s colourful past. The imposing hallway leads to a courtyard with an overlooking balcony, with a grand staircase leading to another two floors which bask in natural light. Here, the rooms are grand – and each has its own character and period features. And from the roof, breath-taking views of Marsamxett Harbour complete a postcard-perfect picture. 

The history of Casa Valdina is an interesting chapter in the capital’s life. The knight who gave the property its name was Fra Carlo Valdina who, according to Judge Emeritus Giovanni Bonello, led an “exceptionally picturesque life.”

Bonello, who wrote a brief history of Casa Valdina, says that its original owner – who purchased the palazzo together with casa d’affitto for 6,000 scudi – was inordinately wealthy, yet, “Hardly a lovable character: greedy, violent, an insatiable bully who aimed at power and wealth… the Inquisitor of Malta Fabio Chigi, later Pope Alexander VII, could not stand him… [and] qualified Valdina as concubinario – a person who lives openly with his mistress – corrupt and corrupting, a man of poor value.”

Over the years, Casa Valdina suffered substantial changes – including the addition of British-era fireplaces. But the original features – including arched ceilings, stone slab floors, beams and the main stairway – still abound, proof of the great potential this property has to write yet another chapter in its history.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.