It was re-decorated in 1661 by an Italian artist, Mattia Preti. It’s a perfect example of High Baroque opulence and has got one of the most beautiful marble tomb floors in the world. It was the Conventual church of the order of St John. Valletta main attractions St John’s Cathedral

City gate was totally refurbished by the world renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, where the new parliament of Malta was built. Today, various 17 th and 18 th century palaces are being restored to their former glory, as prominent private residences, prime offices or boutique hotels. Various buildings where hit by enemy action but the city withstood the bombing and in a couple of years it rose back to its former glory. From the early 17 th century, Valletta had grown into a sizeable city, with hundreds of Maltese flocking to it from the rural towns and villages to live within its fortifications.įrom the mid-17 th century on wards, Valletta was transformed from an austere mannerist city, into a Baroque city, palaces with richly decorated facades in baroque symbols carved into our stone, churches with graceful facades which adorn the streets of the city and gardens to be used solely by the Knights themselves like Barrakka gardens.ĭuring World War 2, Valletta suffered a lot. As soon as the walls of the city, which surrounds the whole peninsula, were finished, Girolomo Cassar started erecting the most important buildings of the city, St John’s Cathedral, Auberges of the Knights, churches, palaces, the Grand Masters Palace and the Sacra Infermeria. Girolomo Cassar, a Maltese architect that studied military engineer, took over the construction of Valletta. Lapparelli, a military engineer, drew up the original plan and soon after he left the island.

Valletta was planned from scratch, in a grid plan by the personnel architect of Pope Pius V, Lapparelli.

De Vallette’s plan was to build an impregnable fortress, capable to withstand any future attacks, both seaward and landward. The first foundation stone was laid in 1566 by Grand Master Jean Parisot de Vallette, just eight months after the Great Siege of Malta, naming the city after himself, Valletta. In 1551, a star shaped fort, St Elmo, was built on the tip of the peninsula. John in 1530, Mount Sceberras, on which Valletta today stands, was just an arid peninsula, lying between two harbours, the Grand harbour and Marsamxetto harbour. Valletta capital city of Malta Valletta Capital city of Maltaīuilt by the Knights of St John, Valletta became the capital city of Malta after the the famous Great Siege.

National war museum valletta malta