Tal-Pietà is a small town located on the outskirts of Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Tal-Pietà is the suburb next-closest to the capital after Floriana and Msida. Its name is derived from Italian and signifies "Mercy".
The former Maltese national hospital, St. Luke's, is located in Tal-Pietà, as well as the University of Malta Medical School. Tal-Pietà is a coastal town, and an old boathouse of notable historic interest (now in use as a restaurant) is located on the waterfront. Also of historic interest, and visible in several old prints, is the little chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, which dates from the seventeenth century, still in active use today. The parish church, however, goes back only to 1968. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima and is run by the Dominican Order.
The town also hosts St. Augustine's College, run by the Augustinian Order. A couple of streets nearby bear the names of St. Augustine and his mother, St. Monica. Tal-Pietà is a departure point for ferries to Gozo, and the patrol boat depot of the Armed Forces of Malta is located at the Haywharf. Also within the boundaries of Pietà are St. Ursula's Orphanage; PBS, the national broadcaster; Villa Gwardamanġa, which served as the residence of then Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain (later Queen Elizabeth II), when she lived in Malta between 1949 and 1951; the Ta' Braxia Cemetery Complex is a Commonwealth Landmark Site and where many World War I garrison veterans from the British army and navy are buried; and the headquarters of the Nationalist Party. The party built its base here in 1969. Tal-Pietà is regarded as a suburb of Ħamrun, Msida, and Valletta. Most of its resident population over the past 30 years hails from this area.
The population of Tal-Pietà was 3,853 in November 2005, which had been an increase over previous years due to a new housing estate and the redevelopment of old homes over the past thirty years. In March 2013 the population stood at 4,053.
A large number of Maltese citizens have Tal-Pietà as their place of birth, because many women give birth at St. Luke's Hospital. Tal-Pietà is not, however, considered by the Maltese born there to be their home town, that being considered instead the town or city they first lived in. (Wiki)
