Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/806571
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 2 APRIL 2017 17 News Kirxa hill, and Balluta Bay Racecourse Street, Rabat St Julian's centre Left and below: compare the barren landscape of the 19th century with the speed of today, as a car zips down the Kirxa hill in St Julian's on towards Balluta Bay. Back in the day, the square was indeed a grove of Judas trees, from where the piazza takes it name. Not yet built are the majestic Balluta Buildings, but the street on Kirxa hill looks almost identical except from some modern accretions along the road Contrasted with the expansive development in Sliema and St Julian's, this photo of Racecourse Street, in Rabat, shows how the town's skyline has remained relatively unchanged, an inspiration to planners and local councillors to ensure that one of Malta's oldest of towns should retain its pictoresque and welcoming townscape instead of opting for intensive construction and apartment blocks The artist Giuseppe Calleja (right) poses for a photo with his friend Felice Beatu. The photos were found in an album that had been in his possession Today St Julian's is the centre of one of the island's major entertainment areas, and the start of a golden mile for hotels, restaurants and luxury development. But in the 19th century this fishing village had little else to offer than fishing boat shelters - which still stand today beneath the restaurants - and the Spinola Palace, which today houses the Parliamentary Assembly for the Mediterranean