Valletta Attractions

This cultural center includes a library. It also hosts numerous cultural events throughout the year.

The present church with its landmark dome dominates Valletta's skyline. It bears no resemblance to Cassar's original work, which suffered irreparable bomb damage during World War II.

This carnival-type event takes place during the second weekend in May.

The German-Maltese Circle, founded in 1962, began as a means of promoting friendship between Malta and Germany. This cultural center includes a library. It also hosts numerous cultural events throughout the year.

From the National Museum of Fine Arts, it is well worth taking a stroll through the nearby Hastings Gardens, named after a former Governor General, the Marquess of Hastings (1824-26).

The public space around the Neo-Classical monument dedicated to General Marquis of Hastings has slowly involved into Hastings Gardens. This is a nice place to walk and admire Valletta's fortifications.

As the regular grid plan of Valletta still indicates, the town was a planned foundation, laid out after the Great Siege of Malta by the Turks in May-September 1565. Although the Knights of St John, who had been granted possession of the Maltese Islands in 1530, successfully beat off the attack by greatly superior Turkish forces, it was recognized that the rebuilding of the existing fortifications which had been destroyed or severely damaged during the siege - Fort St Elmo, at the tip of the then unbuilt-on Sciberras Peninsula; Fort St Angelo, fronting the Knights' Headquarters in Birgu (now Vittoriosa); and Fort St Michael, on the peninsula now occupied by Senglea - would be inadequate to provide protection against a further Turkish attack. Accordingly the then Grand Master of the Order of St John, Jean Parisot de la Valette, founded the town of Valletta which bears his name on March 28, 1566 in order to secure the defense of Grand Harbor. The site on Mount Sciberras, above Fort St Elmo, was selected as the one offering the best strategic qualities. The plans were drawn up by Francesco Laparelli de Cortona, one of the finest military engineers of the time, who had been sent to Malta by Pope Pius IV in recognition of the Knights achievement in defending the Christian cause. Thanks to the contributions which poured in from all over Europe, Laparelli was able to ravert to an earlier plan which had previously been turned down on financial grounds, and within three years the work of building the town was so far advanced that Laparelli left its completion to his assistant Gerolamo Cassar. Cassar was responsible for the construction of auberges ("inns") in Renaissance style occupied by Knights of different nations (of which only four still survive), the Grand Master's Palace, St Johns Co-Cathedral and the Verdala Palace at Rabat. Most of the older buildings of Valletta, however, were erected in the Early Baroque style, which reached Malta from Italy about 1650 and left its mark on the architecture of the whole of Malta. The best-known architects of this period were Lorenzo Gets (1630-1704), Giovanni Barbara (1660-1730) and Giuseppe Bonnici (1707 about 1780). After 1722 the Iberian style came increasingly to the fore, for from then untiI 1775 the Order of St John was headed by Grand Masters from Spain and Portugal. Under their rule Domenico Cachia (1710-90) rebuilt Cassar's Auberge de Castille, with a sumptuous facade which reflects the prosperity of Valletta and the whole of the Maltese Archipelago in the closing years of the Knights rule. This era, however, came to an end under a Grand Master of German origin. Ferdinand von Hompesch (from 1797) surrendered Valletta without offering any resistance when Napoleon Bonaparte sailed into Grand Harbor with a French fleet in 1798 on his way to Egypt. On June 18 of that year all members of the Order of St John were compelled to leave Malta; but French rule lasted only two years, for in 1800 Valletta was occupied by British forces. Under the Treaty of Paris (1814) Britain was given possession of the whole group of islands, which became a Crown Colony; and until the middle of the 2Oth century Valletta was one of the major British naval bases. During World War II the town suffered heavy damage from air attacks by the Axis Powers. In 1964 it became capital of the independent State of Malta.

Valletta's Jesuit church was built in 1592 and now houses a foundation for international studies. Work continued on the structure throughout the 17th century, and the two-story early Baroque facade still appears incomplete.

The three-aisled interior with its dome, contains a disproportionately large number of spiral columns; at the main altar they surround Mattia Preti's "Liberation of St Peter".

The Malta Crafts Center, on St John's Square, Valetta, is the only crafts center in the capital. There you can watch local craftsmen working on their skills and purchase souvenirs.

The Malta Experience in Valletta is an audio visual presentation on the history of Malta and Valletta. The film covers some 7000 years of history and is offered in various different languages. The attraction has been open since the 1980s but is updated regularly to stay current.

From Victory Square the narrow South Street runs northwest to Marsamxett Harbor.

It is Valletta's second natural harbor and is lined by a string of little towns. Malta's busiest road is the one running around the harbor to Sliema.

Going along Mint Street, a picturesque little lane, you have a magnificent view of Manoel Island and Fort Manoel in Marsamxett Harbor.

Diagonally opposite the Library is the end of Old Theater Street, which runs between Queen's Square and Palace Square. On the right-hand side, between Old Bakery Street and Old Mint Street, is the Manoel Theater.

The Municipal Palace or Banca Giuratale (1720) are grand names for what was and still is the Public Records Office. The building gave many style hints for the splendid Auberge de Castile et Leon put up 10 years later. It is a handsome squared-off building of accessible proportions, with a leaden cornice lightened by a Baroque centerpiece which overflows like a fountain.

Immediately northeast of Ste Lucia Square is Queen's Square, bounded on the south side by the National Library of Malta, in the last building erected by the Knights (1796).

Cafes have expanded into the square and it's an excellent place to pause for refreshments.

St James' Church in Valletta was originally built in 1612 to serve the knights of Castile et Leon and rebuilt by Giovanni Barbara in 1710. The oval plan, rich detail on its narrow facade and ornate carvings above the central window are redolent of Roman Baroque. In 1663 it was the focus of a religious scandal involving dark implications of satanic rituals.

From the main entrance of the Cathedral, St John Street goes down toward the Grand Harbor. Going down a flight of steps at the end of the street you pass the Renaissance Church of St Mary of Jesus (16th C.), designed by Gerolamo Cassar.

The Valletta Carnival, held over three days every February, hails the end of winter and the coming of summer. Adults and children run amok in fancy dress among carnival floats.