Valletta, Malta is a fortress city that has withstood centuries of assaults, repelling attackers and keeping the inhabitants safe. But safety inside the walls came at a price.
Crowded on a rocky hilltop the citadel had narrow streets, cramped living quarters, and neighbors too close for comfort. So the challenge was how to add floorspace, brighten dark interiors, and gain a street view without sacrificing privacy? The answer was the distinctive architectural feature for which Malta is known: the enclosed balcony.
The Maltese gallarija is a small, simple, enclosed balcony, with windows on all sides for opening to sunshine and a cooling sea breeze. In addition to bringing the outside inside, the balconies provided an opportunity for owners to add some rainbow-colored personality to the latte-colored limestone buildings.
Apparently the protocol was to have matchy-matchy balconies and front doors.
There’s no doubt of the effectiveness and popularity of these balconies, because you’ll be hard-pressed to find a street that doesn’t have a few of these brightly-colored architectural embellishments.
Our fifth-floor hotel room and its normal balcony looked down the street to a colorful lineup of these gallarija stretching downhill to the harbor. Watching the across-street neighbors hanging out their windows for a weather check and a breath of fresh air was the highlight of our morning. And as we huffed and puffed our way uphill from the seaside, the huge variety of balconies provided a good excuse to stop and gawk at the hanging hues.
Architects say that “form follows function,” which means that how something looks should be determined by what it does. And there’s no reason a lightwell and breeze-catcher needs to be more than a charming box of wood and glass which brightens the ubiquitous buff-colored buildings that make up much of old Valletta.
We never tired of seeing them, and honestly if there were a way, we’d have one of these tiny-jewel balconies hanging on the side of our apartment.
Happy Trails,
James & Terri
P.S. And if you’re curious about Lima, Peru’s mysterious balconies, check this out!
GALLIVANCE 
Thanks for this. We’ve been trying to organise a family trip to Malta for six years.
Peggy, we spent a month in Malta years ago and a week recently. It really is a unique place that has lots to offer – which is one of the reasons it’s so popular. We stayed in the heart of Valletta which was perfect. However, cruise ship crowds were an issue on our most recent trip. Huge ships dock at the Valletta port and the disgorged crowds are a busy nuisance. It’s a very cool place so don’t miss it, but plan on periodic crowds and prepare. ~James
Thanks for the advice. We were looking at December.
I especially love the curved dark blue one. Your photos are wonderful. I’ve heard that Valetta is being overdeveloped with modern apartments these days. It seems such a shame with architecture like this.
Jo, we spent most of our time in the historic part of Valletta so, as you can imagine, there’s not much modern stuff going on there. However, we took a bus to Mdina and did see some of the modern suburbs, but no real signs of overdevelopment. I suspect that most of the big, modern complexes are being built by the beach areas, and this I’m afraid, is inevitable these days. Malta is a very cool place, but unfortunately it requires planning for crowds. ~James
Oh, and BTW. Those beautiful curved front blue balconies are on St. Barbara Bastion which is the “high roller” street which faces the harbor. It’s a scenic spot for sure.
We loved Malta the two times we visited. So much so that I wrote a book set in Malta. I was especially taken by the gallarijas, the colourful doors and the unique doorknockers. Your photographs are exceptional as always.
Thanks Darlene. We really enjoyed Malta, and found that we could appreciate it more on our recent trip. I suspect that had more to do with us fine-tuning our expectations and being honest with ourselves about priorities.
It really is a unique place and has something for everyone. With all the variety, I can believe it made a great backdrop for a book. I’m particularly interested in the ancient human history side of things, and may eventually blog about it, if I can figure a way to make it interesting without making it too geeky. ~James
I look forward to reading that post!
I’m glad you filled me in on the name and function of these balconies we admired in Malta a few years ago!
Lexie, we were in Valletta in September, so it was the perfect time for pushing back curtains and opening windows in the balconies. There was an older woman across the street from our hotel who had the “hanging out the window” routine down. I hope all is well with you. ~James
We were just in Malta for a week this fall and we’re equally enchanted by the colorful and charming balconies in Valetta! Thanks for the full description of them as you provided details that I wasn’t aware of.
Oops, I meant to write Valletta.
Annie, one thing that I found in my research which didn’t make it into the post was that by law, the corners of buildings have to be decorated. This explains all the statues of Mary and Jesus as well as the wraparound balconies. Not a bad law if you ask me. ~James
I didn’t realize that was the reason for all the religious statues. I’ll be writing my posts on our own Malta trip soon so will include some of the interesting facts you included in your posts – I’ll make sure to give credit and provide the link?
Annie, I didn’t find the reference link, but apparently regulations issued by the Order of St John in 1566 required owners of corner properties to provide decorations of the corners. This explains all the statues of Mary. ~James
It looks like Malta came to a gorgeous solution for their cramped quarters. Your pictures make me want to visit! Maggie
Maggie, if you get down that way, make a stop. The island has a deep, rich history and lots to see. As I said to others, the cruise ship crowds can be an issue, but that’s the case in most of the Mediterranean and Adriatic. It just takes planning and patience. ~James
You had quite a beautiful view from your own balcony🥰
I remember I spotted a few of these enclosed balconies on our trip to Boston, last year. They captured my attention right away, such an interesting sight.
Happy Friday!
Christie
Christie, I’ve always thought that enclosed balconies and bay windows were particularly useful additions and I wonder why we don’t see them used more. I picture myself on the balcony with my feet up, a good book, and a cup of tea.~James
Oh I would love to have them too in my apartment. I think the gallarija is a smart invention — you’re kind of outside, but you’re protected from the elements.
Bama, many apartments have balconies which are a good addition. But because these balconies are enclosed provides outdoor access with a degree of privacy – a perfect combination. ~James
Where we are now, James and Terri, sounds just about like your balconies. We are in a small house about a mile from the ocean for a month on the Big Island of Hawaii. It is surrounded by large windows that we have open all day to let the sea breeze blow through! While we lack the architectural beauty of the Malta buildings, we are surrounded by a tropical garden.
Curt, you can’t go wrong anywhere in Hawaii. We never cross the Pacific without a stop in Hawaii. It sounds like you don’t really need anything to make you feel any better, but this morning in Lexington, KY it was 4°F and tomorrow morning it forecast to be -6°. Soak it up my friend and enjoy your stay. ~James
Brrr. It was plenty cold where we are living in Virginia as well.! We aren’t missing it James. Cool here, so far, has meant 67°. –Curt
Annie, thanks for the link to our post about the beautiful balconies of Malta. I really enjoyed reading your entertaining and thorough post about Valletta. ~James