It is one of the most beautiful cultural icons of Malta and a must-see for people visiting Valletta (Il-Belt Valletta), St. George's Square (Pjazza San Gorg o Misraħ San Ġorġ), also known as Palace Square (Misraħ il-Palazz) is the heart of the city, meeting place, crossing point, scenary of events of any kind flanked on one side by the Grandmaster's Palace (Il-Palazz tal-Gran Mastru), simply known as The Palace and the Main Guard Building on the other side.
The square was recently turned from a car park into a pedestrian area, an open space designed for enjoyment and relaxation surrounded by modern and historic buildings, The Palace is one of the most magnificent and purest examples of Maltese heritage; the centre of the square is enriched by a modern ground-level and rectangular-shaped fountain erupting and flowing in rhythm with the music at regular intervals, it is a pleasure for children of all ages who love running through it.
The Grandmaster's Palace overlooks the square, one of the most impressive in Malta, this building has hosted for a longtime the House of the Grandmaster of the Knights of the Order of St. John, then the British Government, today it is the seat of the President and home to the House of Representatives of Malta; The Palace was first commissioned by the Grandmaster del Monte, initially hardly showed any decoration, only after his death it was improved, enlarged and embellished under the Grandmaster Jean de la Cassiere and the architect Gerolamo Cassar (Gelormu Cassar), by the mid-eighteenth century The Palace reached its present structure, a Renaissance masterpiece of art and architecture, other decorative elements were added later such as the wonderful main doors and the wooden balconies. Two splendid gardens enrich its outdoor space, the Prince Alfred’s Courtyard and Neptune’s Courtyard where we can find a spiral staircase that leads to the entrance of the state rooms; the interior spaces are of extraordinary beauty, lavishly decorated marble corridors, beautiful frescoes, magnificent rooms, our tour should include: the Council Chamber, a splendid room adorned with tapestries, a personal gift of the Spanish Grandmaster Ramon Perellos y Rocaful, the State Dining Room, embellished by splendid paintings, the Supreme Council Hall (or Throne Room) boasting top quality frescoes that depict the Great Siege, the Ambassador’s Hall (or Red Room) where portraits of Grandmasters and other rulers hang, the Palace Armoury, one of the world's largest and richest collections of arms, three centuries of military history are here displayed through swords, guns, crossbows, shotguns and cannons, partly reduced by the depredations of the French; among the unique treasures the personal armour of Grandmaster La Valette, the founder of The City; all rooms are usually used for state functions, when possible, they are regularly open to the public.
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