A short walk from Valletta's Main Gate is the old building of the Auberge de Provence, a kind of residence where the Knights Hospitallers from France lived. This Auberge was run by the Grand Commendatore, who also held the position of Treasurer of the Knights of Malta. The local architect Girolamo Cassar worked on this structure between 1571 and 1575. In the 17th century, the facade was completely rebuilt. Nowadays it is decorated with Doric and Ionic columns. The lobby of the building has survived almost unchanged. You can enter it even if you do not plan to visit the Archaeological Museum, which has occupied the rooms of the Auberge Provence since 1990.
For over a hundred years, from 1820 to 1954, this palace was home to the English Officers' Club. Nowadays, the mansion has been completely converted to serve the needs of the Archaeological Museum. Until recently, the building also housed an art gallery.
The National Archaeological Museum of Malta is small, but its exposition would be the envy of many famous museums of the world. It houses many artefacts from the prehistoric era, found during the excavation of the megalithic temples for which Malta is famous. The small statue of the Sleeping Lady and the equally miniature Venus of Malta are considered the most valuable exhibits. The partially preserved statue of the Fat Lady, found in the megalith of Tarshin, is also interesting. Unfortunately, the upper part of this sculpture, which is supposedly 3 metres high, has been lost. Now we can only see the lady's legs in trousers covered by a puffy skirt. A copy of this statue can be found in the megalithic temple of Tarshin, which is open to the public.
The Archaeological Museum also houses the remains of Roman columns, ancient oil lamps found in the catacombs, and glassware created by Roman craftsmen. On one of the marble pillars you can see a prayer written in Greek and Phoenician. Thanks to this find, the Phoenician language was deciphered.
