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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 DECEMBER 2021 12 COMMERCIAL PIETÀ is a relatively small town along the coastal stretch between Floriana and Msida. The locality started out al- most immediately after the Great Siege of 1565 main- ly due to its close proximity to Valletta which had start- ed being planned and built. Although disrupted by two plagues, the area witnessed a population growth, so much so that a chapel and rectory dedicated to Our Lady of Sor- rows (La Pietà in Italian) was built. For a period, the chapel also served as vice-parish to St Paul's Shipwreck church in Valletta. So significant was the chapel, that it ended up giving its name to the locality. "Many locals tend to take an added interest in visiting cul- tural places such as Valletta and Mdina known for their baroque architecture and rich historical aura but tend to know much less about the less- er tourist-frequented towns. They miss out on places such as Pieta which is a charming old residential neighbourhood with some magnificent archi- tectural buildings." highlights event organiser Maria Spiteri. "What is so fascinating about these walking tours, is that they give participants the chance to experience first- hand the history, architecture and culture of the locality. Our heritage experts manage to uncover the rich, vibrant stories attached to the histor- ical buildings and sites." ex- plains Maria Spiteri. In the late 1920s, the British government decided to build a new General Hospital and due to its strategic position on the Island selected a site on the upper part of Pieta. This led to the creation of a new rapid- ly populated urban settlement which took the name 'Guar- damangia'. The three-hour walking tour will take visitors to places which are not easily accessible to the public. One of the stop overs will be Vil- la Guardamangia, a residence that had housed Princess Eliz- abeth from 1949 to 1951 when her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, was sta- tioned in Malta as an officer of the Royal Navy. The Villa will soon be un- dergoing an extensive pro- cess of restoration. Along the route, participants will also visit two cemeteries; the Ta' Braxia cemetery which was designed and planned by re- nowned Maltese architect Emanuele Luigi Galizia in the late 19th Century. It is one of the few multi-faith cemeter- ies on the Island and the final resting place of prominent personalities, including Rus- sian ballerina Princess Natalie Poutiatine. The other burial place, the Pieta military cem- etery is a stone throw away. This cemetery has over 2,000 graves of which 1,300 were servicemen who fought in the first and second world wars. Participants will also learn to appreciate not only the beau- tiful baroque and neoclassical architecture of some of Pieta's unique buildings such as Villa Frere, but 'modernist' protect- ed buildings such as the Black- ley Bakery factory, Television House and St. Luke's Hospital. This 'modernist' architecture A tour of Pietà On the periphery of Malta's very own Capital City, tucked away between Floriana and Msida lies the historical town of Pietà. Over the coming months, this locality will be in the limelight, as the PA restarts its popular educational walking tours. Event organiser, Maria Spiteri shares some interesting insights into why this tour should be on your to-do-list for one of your upcoming Sundays