Some buildings you admire for their beauty. The Main Guard is one you notice for its position. It sits facing the Grandmaster’s Palace, with a columned porch that looks slightly more formal than anything around it, and it makes the square feel like a stage set.
A guardhouse for the Grand Master
The Main Guard, originally called the Guardia della Piazza, stands in Valletta across from the Grandmaster’s Palace. It was built in 1603 as a guardhouse for the Regimento di Guardia, the personal guards of the Grand Master of the Order of St John. Being directly opposite the palace, it kept watch over the main seat of the Order’s power.
The building’s purpose is clear from its place on the square. A guardhouse needed a view of the palace entrance and of anyone approaching, and the Main Guard does that with the plainest means.
The British portico
In 1814, when Malta was part of the British Empire, a neoclassical portico was added to the building, along with a relief of the British coat of arms above it. The portico gave the guardhouse a formal front in the style of the time, and the relief marked the new authority on the island.
The British continued to use the building to house the guards of the Governor of Malta, who resided in the Grandmaster’s Palace. The arrangement shows how a new ruling power took over the existing layout of the city rather than building a new one.
From guard post to law office
In the 1990s the Main Guard became an annex of the Office of the Attorney General, and it currently houses those offices. Government use explains why the building is rarely open to the public, but it also means it is well looked after.
Seeing it well
The best view is from the square itself, standing back far enough to see the portico as a whole. Look at the columns, the entablature and the relief above. Compared with the heavier Baroque buildings of Valletta, the neoclassical style is calm and symmetrical.
In the middle of the day the sun shines onto the front, and the details are crisp. Early morning, before the crowds, is a quiet time to stand in the square.
Combining it with the upper town
A short walk takes you to St John’s Co-Cathedral, and the Grandmaster’s Palace is directly opposite, so the Main Guard fits naturally into a visit to the palace. The long main street runs from here toward the city gate, past cafes and shops, and a stroll in either direction gives a good sample of Valletta.
Check the opening arrangements for the palace and any other attraction before you plan the day. Bring water in summer, because the square has little shade, and wear flat shoes for the paving.
The setting on the square
The Main Guard sits on one of the key squares of the upper town, and its role only makes sense in relation to the Grandmaster’s Palace. The palace was the seat of the Order’s government and later of the British Governor, and the guardhouse was a visible sign of control over access to it. Standing between the two, you can imagine the movement of soldiers, messengers and officials.
The square is lined with buildings of different periods, so the Main Guard is one piece of a layered streetscape. The British portico is a good example of how each period left a mark without erasing the one before.
Looking more closely
Notice the columns, which carry a shallow entablature and a flat roof. The relief of the British coat of arms sits at the centre of the front. Compared with the carved balconies and ornate gates of nearby buildings, the portico is restrained, even stern.
If you want a better view, cross to the palace side of the square and look back, then compare the two facades. It is a quick exercise that shows the contrast between the Order’s Baroque and the British neoclassical.
Combine the visit with a coffee in one of the cafes on the nearby streets, and leave time for the palace itself if its rooms are open on the day you visit.
