We stop in the National Museum of Archeology, a small museum on two floors which covers Malta's Neolithic Period (5200 BC) until the early Phoenician period (6th Century BC), including the Bronze Age. In the Neolithic section we see some fairly detailed stone carvings of humans (especially considering it is 5,000 years before Christ) including a small sculpture of a sleeping lady. An interesting piece from the the Bronze Age is a dagger with a carved bone handle. A sarcophagus is the highlight of the Phoenician section.
After lunch we walk by the National Palace then search for the National Museum of Fine Arts. We find it on a side street after walking uphill what feels like forever. We later understand that there was a much better route.
The Malta National Museum of Fine Arts is in a palace which served as an early residence for the Knights. The art collection is modest, but includes some noteworthy pieces from Mattia Preti (such as the 'Baptism of Christ') as well as Turner's 'View of the Harbor.' We are also fond of the statue Rhytmii Vitae (Rhythm of Life). |