Set on high ground overlooking fertile valleys near Rabat, Mtarfa is one of

Malta’s smallest and quietest towns. In Roman times the area formed part of Melite, the old city of Rabat, and once hosted a temple dedicated to Proserpina, though little survives today.

The town later took on a distinctly British military character when barracks and a naval hospital were constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Landmarks such as the Mtarfa Clock Tower, built in 1895, still recall this era. Once considered part of Rabat, Mtarfa eventually developed its own identity and became a separate local council in 2000.