The Main Guard, situated opposite to the Grand Master’s Palace, occupies one of the most central places in Valletta. Its history dates back to 1603 when it was built by Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt to serve as a guardroom for the Guardia della Piazza, the personal bodyguard of the Grand Master. Under the British the building kept being used for a similar purpose, this time round for the guards of the Governor. The neo-classical portico was added in the beginning of the 19th century. The Latin inscription at the centre of the portico relates to when the Maltese Islands passed under British protection via the Treaty of Paris in 1814.

The Officers’ Mess, located on the first floor of the Main Guard, is an art gallery in itself and aesthetic feast to the eyes. The walls are decorated with more than 300 murals, which depict and touch on various themes ranging from aspects of daily life to skeletons and demons. The artists were the soldiers themselves and in between shifts they created these works of art. Unfortunately, along the years these works sustained a lot of damage, however Heritage Malta is on a process of restoration and conservation which aims to bring them to their former glory.