With its magnificent baroque architecture
and floodlit bastions, numerous beautiful churches,
palaces and lively people, Valletta is a delightful
city. It’s slightly faded glory and its narrow
side streets, its Grand Harbour will all remain imprinted
in your memory long after your holiday in Malta has
ended.
When the Knights of St John first arrived
in Malta, Mdina was the undisputed capital. Perched
on a hill in the centre west of Malta, this medieval
capital did not provide enough protection against the
increasing invasions. After the Great Siege of 1565
Grand Master La Vallette started the work on Valletta
- a new fortified city on the peninsula known as Mount
Sciberras.
The Vatican architect Laparelli’s
designs for the new city were chosen. The design saw
a rigid grid plan of uniformly designed houses dotted
with palaces, baroque churches and squares. There were
to be eight auberges, one for each language in the Order,
a Grand Master’s palace “as large as Palazzo
Farnese in Rome”, a conventual church and a hospital.
The building started on the 28 March 1566 with the church
of Our Lady of Victoria. In honour of the Great Siege
commander who had led the Order to victory, the city
was named Valletta. Gerolamo Cassar was the architect
who continued the work on the city when Laparelli left.
Combining the two architects work, Valletta remains
the beautiful and elegant baroque city they envisaged.
Valletta suffered greatly with World War II as well
as in the hands of successive governments who perhaps
could have done more to maintain it but the two original
architects vision still manages to shine through.
In this section of the Valletta
G-House website we have tried to provide you with a
rough idea of what is on offer in Valletta. Click on
the menu above to find restaurants, theatres, public
open spaces and other useful information for your stay
in Malta.
