Palace Armoury

Region	South Eastern
Building type	Historical Structure
Address	Palace Armoury, Misrah San Gorg, Valletta, Malta
Located Graffiti	Anthropomorphic, Dates, Names or Initials, Numbers, Ship Graffiti, Symbols, Text

The Palace Armoury is located within the Grandmaster’s Palace. The armoury was used by the Order of St. John in the 17th and 18th century. The building was in use by the same Order as early as 1604. The graffiti etched on its external walls are located along Old Theatre Street, Merchants’ Street and Archbishop Street.

Gallery

The outline of a ship is etched adjacent to an entrance to the Palace Armoury.

A ship graffito showing a ship’s hull and rigging complete with bowsprit, sails, shrouds and hull decks.

Several etched lines are superimposed making it difficult to interpret the ship graffito.

Deep pittings form two rows over an etching of a ship’s hull. The riggins of the ship is hardly visible. The bow extends into an unrecognisable shape by a connecting etched incision.

The hull of a ship is etched complete with a series of pitting which may be representing the ship’s gun ports.

A small ship complete with its standing rigging.

A small ship graffito which is at risk of being lost due to the condition of the stone.

A stylised ship graffito showing the hull and some of the rigging. Works on the stone have damaged the ship graffito and it is only partially visible.

A deeply incised ship graffito. The hull is decorated with a chequered pattern. The graffito departs from realism.

A rough depiction of a ship’s hull.

This ship graffito measuring approximately 7cm features a hull and an triangular shaped sail. This could be a representation of either a crab claw sail or a lateen sail positioned appropriately to sail downwind.

Lightly etched lines are evidence of a ship graffito, complete with the standing rigging.

This stylised ship graffito is visible mostly due to three rows of pittings on the hull depicted. The pittings show traces of a black colour, likely markings left behind from the implement used when etching the graffito.

Palace Armoury

Gallery

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