The palace armoury in Valletta, Malta : its evolution as a display from 1604 to 2006

Abstract

The aims of the study is to research and examine how and why the Palace Armoury was transformed from an arsenal to a museum, and how it evolved as a cultural heritage site display through different periods from 1604 when the Palace Armoury was first setup within the Grandmaster’s Palace, to 2006, this being the most recent significant display change to occur at the Palace Armoury up to time of writing in 2021. The research will also seek to understand these changes in the wider context of changing ideas about armoury collections and museums more generally. The Palace Armoury has enjoyed periodic special attention, separated by long intervals when it was left for years in a state of neglect. This pattern of interest or disinterest was witnessed in all periods of its history, be it during the rule of the Order of St John, the short-lived two-year French administration of Valletta, the British colonial period and even after the 1975 transfer. Each of the respective periods has its own narrative, however even within a specific period one is also able to identify changes in conceptual ideas within the site, reflecting the possible museological adjustments that were current on the European continent at the time. The present study analyses each of these periods in order to understand better and discuss in what context the Armoury display was being reshaped and deployed for different purposes. During the course of this study, Heritage Malta, the national agency responsible for museums and heritage sites in Malta, was in the initial stages of planning the relocation of the Palace Armoury in its original site on the upper floor of the Palace. The present research has therefore coincided perfectly with another major event in the history of the Palace Armoury, creating the ideal opportunity for this study to benefit from as well as to contribute to the processes required for an entire museum display change to take place on this grand level.