The town of Rabat is considered the lesser-known sister of the impressive city of Mdina, and therefore quite a few people visit it.Malta It's a shame to skip it. However, Francophiles who decide to go there will be in for a refreshing surprise in the form of the Casa Bernard palace, where a French doctor from the 18th century lived. As you will see, this palace not only served as a residence for a French person, but it also contains quite a few French treasures.
The history of Casa Bernard
Although most of the palace was built during the 16th century (plus additions during the 18th century), parts of it are much older. The palace itself is apparently situated on the remains of a Roman villa, of which only the well remains, which can be found in one of the rooms on the lower floor.
Beyond that, the palace also contains a courtyard with a watchtower from the 13th century. The purpose of the tower was to warn against pirates. It turns out that until the second half of the 16th century, Malta suffered quite a bit from pirates who came from North Africa with the aim of kidnapping the farmers who worked in the fields and selling them into slaves. Thus, the person standing on top of the tower could see the pirates landing on the southern shores of Malta, ring the alarm bells and allow the farmers to hide within the walls of the country.
In 1723, a French doctor named Salvador Bernard arrived in Malta with the intention of becoming the personal physician to the head of the Order of the Knights of Malta, António Manoel de Vilhena. In return for his services, Dr. Bernard received the house and from then until the end of the first half of the 20th century, the house belonged to him and his family. This is why the house is named after the doctor.
In 1993, Mr. and Mrs. Magri bought the building and with much effort and investment, they were able to restore the charming building and its contents. Since the cost of maintaining the building is high, the couple decided to open it to tourists so that you too can walk there and enjoy the beauty of the place.
A paradise for Francophiles
When you enter Casa Bernard, you discover that you have not come to just a museum but to a living, breathing house. At the entrance, you will be greeted by no less than the charming owners of the house. They, together with the guide (a teacher at the boarding house who lives across the street) will be happy to share with you all the secrets of the house. And in general, the feeling during the tour is that the guides enjoy it as much as the travelers themselves (especially if the travelers are history and art enthusiasts).
During the tour you will discover several guest and sleeping rooms, each of which contains quite a few impressive works of art. There is no doubt that the owners of the house have excellent taste and with it they have managed to collect quite a few paintings and art objects, most of which date from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
After discovering quite a few Italian paintings (including paintings from Caravaggio's workshop) you will begin to come across quite a few art objects related to French culture. An example of this is a picture of the famous actress Rachelle Felix, which can be seen in the photo above. She is one of the most famous actresses in 19th-century Paris, depicted here playing Shulamith. On the wall next to it you will find another picture, this time of Isereland, one of the important characters in the book by Victor Hugo “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
But all this is just an appetizer for the real thing. In one of the rooms on the second floor I came across nothing less than an original painting by Elizabeth Villarreal, who painted, among other things, portraits of Marie Antoinette. This discovery simply moved me and I was very happy to find a small piece of France Somewhere in Malta.
The tour lasted nearly an hour, during which we learned not only about the special artefacts in the house but also about the daily lives of the Maltese people (what they wore, what they ate, and how they managed to get rid of annoying guests who suddenly showed up). I, who arrived at this house completely by chance, was simply delighted with both the house and the welcoming guidance.
Therefore, I highly recommend you visit this house on your next trip to Malta.
Information about the house
Address: 46 Triq San Pawl, Rabat
Opening Hours: Open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 16:00 PM.
For more information, please visitWebsite of the house.
Looking for what else to do in Malta?
As you have probably already discovered (and if not, you will soon), there is so much to do in Malta that it is very difficult to choose between the variety of attractions and activities. But don't worry, I have done the work for you and collected the most worthwhile attractions and activities. You can find them in the article What to do in Malta?
Looking for a hotel in Malta?
I have collected some recommended hotels for you to prevent you from making any unpleasant mistakes. However, before I give you my recommendations, I need to answer one important question: Where in Malta should you live? The answer to this question and my recommendations for hotels in Malta can be found in the article Where to look for a hotel in Malta.