Cars slide through the two arches without slowing much, and above them the stonework carries a crowd of crosses, shields and carved figures. That contrast is the first thing you notice at Porte des Bombes: a gate built to shut out an invasion now works as a gap in a busy road on the way into Valletta.
What the gate looks like
The façade is Baroque and richly worked. Stylised pilasters frame the openings, and the surface is covered with Maltese crosses, the arms of the Order of St John and, a later layer, British coats of arms. Large sculptures sit along the top of the archway. Look at how deep the carving is; in morning or late-afternoon light the shadows pick out every shield, and the pale limestone turns honey-coloured.
Two marble plaques carry inscriptions. The original one, set up when the gate was built, speaks of the Order fighting the Turks everywhere and sitting secure in its seat. The second was added under British rule and, in translation from the Latin, refers to the greater comfort of the population. Read together they sum up two centuries of rulers in two lines, one boasting of defence, the other quietly admitting that the gate had become a traffic problem.
How it came to be
The gate dates from 1720 and belongs to the Floriana fortifications, the outer defensive belt that was added to protect Valletta from the landward side. It was first called Porta dei Cannoni, after the cannon-shaped outline of its pilasters. In its original form it had a single entrance and was joined to the ramparts on both sides.
The expected Ottoman attack never came here. Instead the defences were used between 1798 and 1800, when the British navy besieged the French garrison in Valletta. In 1868 the British authorities altered the gate, adding a second entrance to carry more traffic and changing some of the decoration. In the early twentieth century more traffic led to more cutting, and the gate was separated from the ramparts it had once joined. It was damaged in the bombing of the Second World War, and a large restoration in the early 2000s added modern lighting.
Seeing it properly
The best way to see the gate is on foot, from the parkland that runs alongside the road. Stand back far enough to take in the whole arch against the bastions behind it. Close up you lose the sculpture on top and see mostly the traffic.
Walk through on the pavement and glance up at the vault of each opening. The older arch and the one added in 1868 are not identical, and once you notice the join you cannot stop seeing it. The wall on either side is part of the Floriana defences, and a stroll along the base of the bastions gives a sense of how heavy the fortifications are compared with the elegant gateway itself.
After dark the lighting installed during the restoration makes the gate worth a second look. The façade glows against the dark ramparts, and photographers who visit in the evening usually find the road quieter than at rush hour. Keep an eye on the traffic all the same.
Combining it with Floriana and Valletta
Porte des Bombes works as a link in a longer walk. From Valletta City Gate, walk out along the main road into Floriana and the gate appears on the approach. In the other direction, you can arrive by bus, get off in Floriana and walk towards Valletta, taking in the gate on the way.
Floriana itself rewards a slow look. It has wide squares, large public gardens and a series of fortification walls that most visitors skip because they head straight for Valletta. Pjazza San Publiju, with its parish church, is within walking distance, and the Argotti Botanic Gardens and the Robert Samut Hall are also in the suburb. If you have an afternoon, combine the gate with the Valletta Waterfront, which lies on the Grand Harbour side of Floriana.
Practical points
There is no ticket or queue; the gate is part of the street. Because it stands directly on a main road, the noise is constant and the pavements can be crowded at school and commuting hours. Avoid standing in the road to frame a photograph. If you want an unobstructed view, early on a Sunday morning is usually the quietest time.
Comfortable shoes matter more than anything else here, since the gate is usually visited as part of a walk of an hour or two. Summer heat on the exposed limestone can be strong by midday, so carry water and plan any longer walk for the morning or the evening.
For the history behind the façade, the plaques are the quickest route: a few minutes spent reading and thinking about who wrote each line tells you more than a long guided talk. Visit in the early evening, when the light is warm and the lamps are coming on, and carry on through Floriana to Valletta for dinner.
