Casa Rocca Piccola

Writing in Sur, the newspaper for Southern Spain, David Garson shares his views about Malta. In this extract he visits Casa Rocca Piccola in Valletta:

One of the most interesting places to visit in the capital is the Casa Rocca Piccola at 74, Republic street. It is still the lived-in home of a noble Maltese family with a history going back over 400 years. It was named after the first owner, Don Pietro La Rocca, who was an Admiral of the Order of St. John.

Afterwards it became the home for a succession of Italian aristocrats until finally it was sold to a Maltese nobleman in the latter half of the 18th century. What you will be privileged to see is the home of the 9th Marquis de Piro and his charming English born wife Frances, the Marchioness. They have four children and it is quite possible that one or more members of the family will be there to show you around! There are various items of memorabilia to be seen, not necessarily having any artistic merit but merely contributing to the overall picture of a lived-in home, albeit a grand one! The basement area is now used to house a collectionshares his views of costumes. Still to be seen are two intact bomb shelters, deep underground, which were used by the members of the family during the continuous bombing raids of the last world war.

There is a splendid marble staircase to climb when viewing the eight principal rooms and dominating the top landing is the imposing family coat of arms carved out of wood by the Maltese artist Edward Pirotta. Although the Palace has its own chapel, there is in the library a beautiful black lacquered portable chapel. When closed it disguises its true function but when opened it becomes a proper chapel with a tabernacle, relics and “the sign of the cross”. It is decorated with paintings of exotic birds and flora. In olden days portable chapels were easily taken to the country home of the nobility and also moved readily into a bedroom so that a child could be baptised immediately after birth and in the presence of the mother.

The Manoel Theatre, in the same street as the Casa Rocca Piccola, is one of Europe's oldest and best preserved theatres, dating back to the beginning of the 18th century. Today it is the official Maltese National Theatre and attracts many international stars of the musical and acting world as well as leading opera and ballet companies and well-known orchestras...