One of the more unusual sights in Vittoriosa's tightly packed streets is a medieval house still engraved above the door with the symbol of its original occupant's trade: an eye flanked by two axes. The house was the official residence of the public executioner during the Knights' period, when the post was a recognized civic office with its own accommodation. The engraving is still clear on the stone lintel.
The house is a private residence and not open to enter, but the exterior is easily found in the warren of streets in the oldest part of the town. The symbol is worth seeking out as a reminder that Vittoriosa was not only a place of religious grandeur and military glory — it was also a functioning town where the unglamorous necessities of medieval law were carried out. The narrow lane and the dense stone buildings that press in on all sides give it the right atmosphere.