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Casa Rocca Piccola

74 Triq Repubblika, Valletta, Island of Malta VLT 1117, Malta
356 21221499
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Ranked #4 of 32 attractions in Valletta
Type: Historic Sites
Owner description: If you fancy seeing something a little bit different when visiting Valletta from the usual run of museums why not make it a point to go and see Casa... more » Owner description: If you fancy seeing something a little bit different when visiting Valletta from the usual run of museums why not make it a point to go and see Casa Rocca Piccola. Often described as a ‘living museum’ Casa Rocca Piccola is the only privately owned palace open to the public in Valletta and has a fascinating variety of different things to see.Originally built in the 16th Century for Don Pietro La Rocca, a Knight of Malta, it is now the family ancestral home of the 9th Marquis de Piro and his family. On your visit you will be able to walk through twelve palatial rooms including the two Dining Rooms, (one for the summer and one for the winter!) as well as the Four Poster Bedroom, a private Family Chapel and an Archive room housing family documents of the de Piro family going back to the 17th Century.Guides will point out the interesting things to see such as an 18th Century golden Sedan Chair which was once carried around Valletta by Turkish slaves and the glass tumblers used to hold ice which had to be rowed all the way from Mount Etna in Sicily! There are literally hundreds of magnificent objects to see including modern paintings interspersed with the ancestral portraits of the Marquises de Piro and the Barons of Budach.Lastly but not least as part of your guided tour you will see a network of tunnels cut out from the rock under the house which were used as Bomb Shelters in World War 2. Over 100 people could be sheltered here from the Nazi bombs that poured on Valletta.There is a delightful souvenir shop in the Carriage Room of the house and a cosy Sicilian restaurant in the old kitchens. « less
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182 reviews from our community

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Northumberland, England
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
8 attraction reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
40 helpful votes 40 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2013 NEW

I did not think it gave value for money, not enough to see although it did have some interesting historical pieces.

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See 8 more reviews by Paul_Bunker for Valletta
MartinMalta, Manager at Casa Rocca Piccola, responded to this review
20 May 2013

Dear Reviewer, Thank you for taking the time to review Casa Rocca Piccola and pointing out that it contains "interesting historical pieces". We would be interested to know why you were disappointed and if you have the time could you let us know. Many thanks again for your time. Kind regards. More

europe
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
12 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
19 helpful votes 19 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2013 NEW

This allows a visit to a functioning home (parts of it) and displays the collected artifact ,painting and miscellaneous item of the generations of one of the noble families of Malta. It provides some insights to what their way of life is and was . The guide we had was under pressure to get us out because of some event... More

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See 4 more reviews by ardom for Valletta
Bethesda, Maryland
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
7 attraction reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2013

Our group was so lucky as to have the owner as our guide. His comments and stories were truly fascinating and gave us a great outlook at life in Malta through the ages and at a Maltese family. Again, I wish we had had more time to enjoy this lovely house and all the beautiful objects it contained.

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See 8 more reviews by Ximenahc_13 for Valletta
UK
Top Contributor
70 reviews 70 reviews
7 attraction reviews
Reviews in 39 cities Reviews in 39 cities
54 helpful votes 54 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 8 May 2013

We took an afternoon tour of this old Maltese house. The guide was knowledgable and he made the visit interesting by bringing it more to life. Don' t go too late in the afternoon if you want to use the shop or cafe as they shut early.

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Gateshead
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 May 2013

The house itself is very interesting, with plenty of old furniture, artworks, curiosities, etc., plus a resident parrot and some fascinating cellars which were used to store water and then as an air raid shelter. It's great that you aren't forbidden to touch things, you have plenty of time to look around, and it's refreshingly funky and quirky, and possibly... More

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See 2 more reviews by InspectorBear for Valletta
Bulverde, Texas
Top Contributor
303 reviews 303 reviews
142 attraction reviews
Reviews in 78 cities Reviews in 78 cities
544 helpful votes 544 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 May 2013

We carefully planned our day to include this tour, which we had prepaid. When we arrived for the publicized and posted one o'clock tour.....the place was locked and we waited in vain. Waste of time and money.

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See 18 more reviews by Emil F for Valletta
MartinMalta, Manager at Casa Rocca Piccola, responded to this review
22 May 2013

Dear Reviewer, Thank you for taking the time to review Casa Rocca Piccola. We have messaged you and asked you to let us know where it was that you saw we were open on a Public Holiday and where you purchased your prepaid ticket, so that we can make enquiries but we are still waiting for an answer. As far... More

Braintree, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
10 attraction reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 April 2013 via mobile

The house, is on it's own highly interesting, but what really sets this attraction out as Malta's best is the knowledge & enthusiasm of the guide. The young lady in charge of our group was exceptional and confidently dealt with questions outside the tour narrative. These ranged from the nationality of origin of various items of furniture to the archive... More

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See 6 more reviews by Stephenrgreen for Valletta
London, United Kingdom
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
33 attraction reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 April 2013

This was one of our favourite places. We were given a very good conducted tour over what is still a private house, albeit it an aristocratic one filled with fascinating furniture and paintings.

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See 12 more reviews by Judith40 for Valletta
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 April 2013

This house is beautiful and so full of history. I particularly liked the family pictures that are still dotted around. It's not often you see a house like this that is still very much used and kept in the family. It is also one of the only places where you can actually visit the underground passage ways of Valletta. Beautiful... More

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Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 April 2013

This house is beautiful and so full of history. I particularly liked the family pictures that are still dotted around. It's not often you see a house like this that is still very much used and kept in the family. It is also one of the only places where you can actually visit the underground passage ways of Valletta. Beautiful... More

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