Former names Valletta Marina Type Wharf, stores Location Floriana, Malta Opened 1752 Architect Andrea Belli | Status Partially intact Architectural style Baroque Address Floriana, Malta Phone +356 2567 3000 | |
Owner Government of Malta and private property Hours Open today ยท Open 24 hoursSaturdayOpen 24 hoursSundayOpen 24 hoursMondayOpen 24 hoursTuesdayOpen 24 hoursWednesdayOpen 24 hoursThursdayOpen 24 hoursFridayOpen 24 hoursSuggest an edit Similar Upper Barrakka Gardens, The Point Shopping Mall, Casa Rocca Piccola, Saluting Battery, Grandmaster's Palace Profiles | ||
Valletta waterfront malta guide
The Valletta Waterfront, is a water front in Floriana, Malta, mainly featuring three prominent buildings; a church in the middle, the Pinto Stores or the Pinto Wharf on the left, and the Forni Stores or the Forni Shopping Complex on the right. The buildings were originally stores and warehouses, built in the 18th century, and design attributed to Andrea Belli. The area now plays a role in Malta's cruise liner business as the Forni Cruise Passenger Terminal, and hosts a concentration of bars, retail outlets and restaurants. The area was and remains a venue for several concerts and events.
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Christmas at valletta waterfront malta
History
The Valletta Marina was extensively developed in 1752, that included 19 imposing stores and a church, by Grandmaster Manuel Pinto de Fonseca. The buildings, including the stores and the church, have a Baroque design attributed to Andrea Belli.
The area was devastated by aerial bombardment in World War II, due to its proximity to the Malta Dockyard and the British naval forces in Grand Harbour. Some of the stores were completely destroyed during the war.
The area was thoroughly restored and renovated. Some buildings, which had been completely or partially destroyed in the WWII, the facades were rebuilt at the exclusion of the interior. The area behind these rebuilt facades is now a car park. The doors of the buildings are painted with different colours, symbolising the different types of goods that were once stored in them; blue represents the storage of fish, green for agricultural products, yellow for wheat and red for wine.
The Valletta Waterfront is run by a private consortium who offers management overseeing Malta's cruise liner business. The waterfront hosts roughly twelve restaurants, a number of bars and retail outlets. Various events are held at the area and the close vicinity, such as the Malta Jazz Festival, the Malta Fireworks Festival and the Perfect Wedding Fair.
The Church of the Flight into Egypt was built in 1752, along with the stores, was bombed in the Second World War and the damaged parts have since been faithfully rebuilt similar to the original and the original remains were restored. Mass is celebrated at the church every Saturday evening.
The Pinto Stores were included on the Antiquities List of 1925, are a grade 1 national monument and they are listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI).