When
the knights of St.John arrived in Malta they had two options
where to settle. It was the ancient old capital, Imdina or else
the area known as "Il Borgo del Castello."which later
became known as Birgu. Settling in Imdina would have aroused
the hostilities of the local nobles and Birgu offered a safe
anchorage for the Order's galleys. Thus they chose this long
peninsula on which to build their first auberges and palazzi.
It
was after the Great Siege of 1565 that Grand Master La Vallette
decided to give Birgu the new name of Vittoriosa ( the Victorious).
To the locals, however, it is still, and always will be, Birgu.
Vittoriosa is the most interesting of the so-called "Three
Cities" - the other two being Senglea and Cospiqua. In
Vittoriosa one can find all the old "Auberges" of
the knights and their churches.
In
our "Three Cities Excursion" our guides will take
you around these old medieval streets filled with baroque architecture.
The tour also includes a visit to the "Inquisitor's Palace
and "the Maritime Museum which is full of relics and objects
related to Malta's maritime life, dating back from the Roman
period to our present days.
