CASA ROCCA PICCOLA

Located at the corner of Republic and Saint Dominic Street, this 16th century mansion (1580) is now inhabited by the ninth Marquis de Piro and his family. In the days of the knights, the house was attached to the Italian language inn. It bears the name of its first owner, Don Pietro La Rocca, admiral of the Order of St. John.

It is the Marquise de Piro herself who gives the tour: she has the presence of Princess Margaret, and her academic accent makes her easily understandable.

During one hour, the visitors go through the different rooms of the house, regularly redecorated by the family. We are not really in a museum, but in a living historical place with many objects, not necessarily art or precious, but collected over the years by the de Piro's.
The staircase, the two vertical paintings, the Invention of the Electric Light Bulb and the Mechanization of the Wheat Industry were painted by Ramiro Raffaele Cali for Antonio Cassar Torregiani, the only industrialist who lived in the Casa Rocca Piccola.
The chapel, dating back to the ancestors of the Marquis, has an altarpiece painted by Pietro Paolo Caruana and showing the Virgin and Child venerated by Saint Gaetano. The treasure of the chapel includes some very beautiful pieces, donated by Popes Pius IX and Leo XII.
The room of the canopy bed, The canopy bed is that of the great-grandmother of the Marquis Orsola Agius Caruana. She gave birth to nine children here.
The green room. You will notice some picturesque details in the portraits: the little girl wearing a red bracelet for superstition, with mountains in the background, symbols of Sicily, because in Malta there are no mountains! You will also see the invitations for the coronations of George VI and Elizabeth II.
The library, with several paintings and portraits, including the watercolor of Louisa, daughter of the Marquis.
The Porphyry Room owes its name to its mural painting which imitates... porphyry (a volcanic stone). Its sixteenth-century beamed ceiling is the only one in the house that has remained intact. In this room are several portraits of the Piro ancestors.
In the blue room, note a series of surgical instruments on the table. The blue room is also the television room (look carefully behind the panels).
The summer dining room makes you want to settle down and put the napkin on your lap, waiting for the gala meal suggested by a nicely set table.
The Chinese room: Several small vinaigrettes and other objects displayed in the Chinese showcase.
The archive room: A large collection of historical documents of the family is displayed here. They were recently organized by an Italian doctoral student.
The air raid shelters: In order to protect themselves from bombing during World War II (Valletta was one of the hardest hit cities), the de Piro's transformed their two wells into air raid shelters. One of the highlights of the visit.