Palazzo Falson

Palazzo Falson is a house museum in the heart of Mdina, the walled medieval city that was Malta's capital before Valletta. The building dates from the early 13th century and was later lived in by Captain Olof Frederick Gollcher, an artist, soldier, collector and philanthropist, who filled it with a remarkable collection. Walking through it feels more like visiting a private home than a gallery, which is exactly the spirit the museum wants to keep.

It sits among the museums in Malta in our directory, and it makes an ideal anchor, alongside St John's Co-Cathedral in the capital, for a day in the silent city described in our Mdina guide.

The house and its history

Construction took place in the early 13th century, on a spot once occupied by La Rocca, which formed part of Mdina's defences under Arab rule between 870 and 1091 and goes back to Roman times. The first building had one floor. Michele de Falsone, who inherited it in 1524, added an upper storey and elegant paired windows with Arabesque columns.

More alterations came as the Order of St John arrived, and Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L'Isle Adam lodged here for a couple of weeks in the autumn of 1531, from 20 October to 5 November. If that period interests you, our Knights of Malta guide sets the scene. Ownership then moved to the Cumbo-Navarro family and their descendants.

Olof Gollcher, whose Swedish family of ship owners and traders had come to Malta in 1848, purchased the palazzo together with his mother in 1927, and after her death in 1935 it was his alone. He renamed it The Norman House. At his death in 1962 he gave the house and his collection to a foundation, hoping the public would be able to enjoy them. The Maltese Heritage Foundation, Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, started a major restoration in 2002 and the museum welcomed visitors from May 2007.

The collection and what to see

The Olof Gollcher Collection gathers pieces from across Europe and the Mediterranean made from the 15th to the 20th century. Expect furniture, weapons and armour, jewellery, coins, paintings, fans, rugs, manuscripts, silverware and glassware. The dining room, courtyard, kitchen and other rooms show them in a domestic setting. The museum also has a library and a pollinator haven on the roof.

Your ticket includes an audio guide in six languages, Maltese, English and four other European ones, plus printed and digital information in 21 languages, so most visitors can follow the story in their own language. An augmented reality game called Secrets of Palazzo Falson can be played for the same price as museum entry.

Tickets, hours and accessibility

Adult tickets cost €12.50. Students with a valid card, seniors and ISIC or ICOM card holders pay €6, and EYCA cardholders get a 10 per cent discount. Children aged 6 to 12 enter free when accompanied by an adult, and children under 6 are not permitted in the museum, so families with little ones may prefer Adventure Hub nearby. Your ticket also earns 10 per cent off at the Gustav Cafe.

Doors open at 10:00 from Tuesday to Sunday, last entry is at 16:00, and there is no opening on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day or New Year's Day. Lockers are free at reception for bags up to 40 cm by 25 cm, and there is no cloakroom.

Because this is a Grade A historic building there is no lift to the upper floors. Wheelchair users can enter by a ramp in Triq is-Salvatur and visit the ground-floor spaces only. A restroom suitable for wheelchairs is on the ground floor.

Cafe, workshops, groups and events

Gustav Cafe sits among the rooftops beside the Pollinator Haven and is the highest cafe in Malta. It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:30 to 16:00 and does not admit children under 6.

Children's workshops take place regularly for different age groups, inspired by objects and themes from the museum, with a tour included, and members of the public can join for a fee. Schools can book a specially curated guided tour for a donation of €2 per student, and groups of up to 15 pay a concession of €10 each. Outside normal hours the museum can be opened for private functions such as receptions, dinners, civil weddings, concerts, launches and talks, and private tours can finish with a drink on the roof terrace or in the entrance hall.

Getting to Mdina

Buses stop in Rabat, from where you walk through Howard Gardens to Mdina's Main Gate. Services from Valletta are numbers 51, 52, 53 and 56, from the airport 214 and Airport 1 Direct, from Sliema 202, from Buġibba 186 and from the University and Mater Dei hospital 181 and 182. Check current routes before travelling, because they can change; our flights to Malta guide covers arrival from the UK. If you set out from the capital, our Valletta guide covers the departure point.

Cars cannot be parked inside Mdina. Use the car parks outside the Main Gate, outside Greeks' Gate or near the Roman Domus and walk in. For a stay nearby, see our page on hotels in Mdina and Rabat, and for wider ideas visit our things to do in Malta page.

To ask about tickets, groups, school visits or after-hours events, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the museum.