Our Grade 10 students have been reading about St.John’s Co-Cathedral in their school book ‘San Gwann’ by Guze Galea, throughout this scholastic year. So when they were taken to Valletta, Malta’s Capital City, they were very eager to try and identify the places that they had been reading about. The students themselves were asking the teachers who accompanied them to show them where Grand Master La Valette was buried, where the impressive golden gate stands, where the famous paintings of Caravaggio are exhibited and also where the brilliant Perellos tapestries are hung.

St. John’s Co-Cathedral whose modest outside appearance does it no justice, was designed by the architect Glormu Cassar and funded by Grandmaster Juan l’Eveque de La Cassiere.

The thirteen year olds were then invited to meet the President of the Republic of Malta, The Honourable Dr. Edward Fenech Adami, at the Grand Master’s Palace in Republic Str. Valletta, which is also the venue for Parliament. They were first shown around the palace and were once again impressed by the huge tapestries hanging inside the room where parliament used to be held until a few years ago. Dr. Fenech Adami then addressed the students and spoke to them in brief about the palace particularly about the room that they were standing in. Among other questions, the students asked him what it feels like to be President! He was kind enough to pose for a number of times to have his photo taken with each class.

To enhance the educational aspect of this outing, the students were provided with interesting and highly informative handouts in the form of riddles and poems. They were given the opportunity to fill in the blanks in groups, at the breathtaking gardens which overlook the majestic Grand Harbour in Valletta known as ‘Il-Barrakka ta’ Fuq’.