Make history with your wedding
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ocation is everything. But so are the heartstrings that equate memory with a sense of belonging to a place. Nothing is as iconic as Malta’s sand-coloured ramparts and limestone bastions sweeping down to the deep blue promise of the Mediterranean beyond. Our history and those horizons are indelibly etched in the fabric of our Maltese identity. We are a nation of stone and sea, of resilience and reinvention. Selecting a historic backdrop for your wedding is about celebrating the past in your future. It anchors your special day in time and tradition, and coats the occasion in a unique patina of nostalgia, culture and elegance. With a portfolio including neolithic temples, baroque auberges, churches and palaces, forts, a maritime museum and paleochristian catacombs thrown in, for a quirky dose of gothic inclination, Heritage Malta offers unique, exclusive venues for every taste and budget. Every couple has their own personal reasons for choosing a wedding venue. One couple made Fort St Angelo their chosen location because their first date was played out against a harbour luminescent with a full-moon. For Benton Grech Mifsud and his wife Ylenia, who tied the knot on August 15 this year, there was never going to be an alternative locale. Born and raised in Birgu, Benton recalls exploring Fort St Angelo as a kid, and cavorting with his friends in the underground tunnels below. The Grech Mifsuds’ big day had to be postponed as a result of the pandemic fallout, and the number of guests halved. The remaining guests were relieved that the open expanses of the fort meant they could party with peace of mind, and maintain social distancing. Having just officially become Mr and Mrs, entering the fort, a permanent fixture of his childhood, was a sentimental highlight for Benton. “After all the stress of having to shift the date, going up the steps of the fort made me forget everything. In itself, the grandeur of Fort St Angelo makes you feel special. It was such a happy moment knowing that we had made it there,” he said. Throughout history, control of this fort meant effective rule of the Maltese Islands during at least the past thousand years. Indeed, no other fortress has been engaged, with the same intensity, in the shaping of Malta’s destiny. Again, in similar vein to St Elmo, couples are spoilt for choice with the variety of venues available at Fort St Angelo. The picturesque sunset views of the Vittoriosa Marina on D’Homedes Bastion make for memorable wedding portraits. And, having
served as a theatre and cinema for the entertainment of the British troops, the Egmont Hall, has its own raised diais. In the historic heart of the country, the majestic front courtyard of Vilhena Palace is conveniently situated just a few steps away from the main gates of the Silent City of Mdina. The 18th century palace, reconstructed in 1726 by Grandmaster Antoino Manuel De Vilhena in the Parisian Baroque style, offers an exquisite setting for a summer wedding. Travelling back through the annals of time to pre-history, the neoilithic temples of Ġgantija in Gozo, and those of Ħaġar Qim and Tarxien in Malta, make for UNESCO World Heritage settings that are unparalleled and are sure to leave many a foreign guest open mouthed. Back in the Capital, the palatial, Baroque Auberge d’Italie in Valletta, mostly built in the tenure of Grand Master Gregorio Carafa, yields its couryard and the ‘Camerone’, a former refectory. Heritage Malta’s portfolio also includes the church dedicated to Our Lady of Pilar adjacent to the Auberge d’Aragon and the Chapel of St Anne in Fort St Elmo, where couples can get married. A Valletta location adds an irresitible dash of panache to any nuptials. The city is perenially dressed for the occasion. The happy couple are not simply booking a venue, but also a slice of history. At the tip of the peninsula, the 16th century starshaped Fort St Elmo, provides plenty of possibilities for socially distanced gatherings in greater numbers with its vast piazzas and large open spaces. With its brightly lit windows and maroon diamond floor tiles, St Elmo also features an equipped conference hall ideal for the exchanging of vows in a civil ceremony. And for those couples deprived of a large wedding because of this year’s pandemic
measures, there is always the opportunity to organise the reception they originally dreamed of, for a first-year wedding anniversary in 2021. Brides will have the opportunity to wear their dress for a second time. After all, so much thought and detail went into it, that it deserves to take centre stage once again. The magnificent parade grounds opposite the chapel of St Anne in Piazza d’Armi are surrounded by buildings which served as barracks during the British period. The spacious Cavalier Piazza is more secluded, with giant spaces for wall projections. Meanwhile, fronted by the imposing Porta del Soccorso, the barrel vaulted Casemates Area, which overlooks the mount of the Grand Harbour, presents all-yearround shelter from the elements. A location like no other, the strategic west terrace enjoys spectacular views overlooking the Valletta promontory and Marsamxett Harbour, while the Upper Museum spaces afford an unrestricted view of the horizon. Across the water, dreamily romantic at night, the esplanade and gardens of the Ex-Royal Naval Hospital at Bighi, now the premises of Heritage Malta’s Head Office, also offer panoramic views of Valletta, Fort St Angelo and the Grand Harbour lit up and iridescent in the evening. Nearby in Birgu, the garden within the Inquisitor’s Palace, an early modern powerhouse, makes for a novel and unexpected venue. For those with seafaring connections, St Angelo’s commodius hall inside the Malta Maritime Museum, housed within the old naval bakery, with its terrace overlooking the Birgu Marina caters for both indoor and outdoor seating arrangements.
Whatever the venue you go for, make a historical statement that guarnatees your wedding is one to remember. I DO 23
