Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an

administrative unit Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...

and capital of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. Located on the main island, between

Marsamxett Harbour Marsamxett Harbour (), historically also referred to as Marsamuscetto, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It is located to the north of the larger Grand Harbour. The harbour is generally more dedicated to leisure use than the Grand H ...

to the west and the

Grand Harbour The Grand Harbour ( mt, il-Port il-Kbir; it, Porto Grande), also known as the Port of Valletta, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been substantially modified over the years with extensive docks ( Malta Dockyard), wharves, a ...

to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 was 6,444. According to the data from 2020 by Eurostat, the Functional Urban Area and metropolitan region covered the whole island and has a population of 480,134. Valletta is the southernmost capital of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

, and at just , it is the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

's smallest capital city. Valletta's 16th-century buildings were constructed by the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

. The city was named after

Jean Parisot de Valette Fra' Jean "Parisot" de la Valette (4 February 1495 – 21 August 1568) was a French nobleman and 49th Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 21 August 1557 to his death in 1568. As a Knight Hospitaller, joining the order in the ''Langue de Pr ...

, who succeeded in defending the island from an Ottoman invasion during the Great Siege of Malta. The city is Baroque in character, with elements of

Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...

, Neo-Classical and

Modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...

, though the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

left major scars on the city, particularly the destruction of the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...

. The city was officially recognised as a

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 1980. Today, with 320 monuments, is one of the most dense monuments areas in the world. Sometimes called an "open-air museum", Valletta was chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2018. Valletta is also the sunniest city in Europe. The city is noted for its fortifications, consisting of bastions,

curtains A curtain is a piece of cloth or other material intended to block or obscure light, air drafts, or (in the case of a shower curtain), water. A curtain is also the movable screen or drape in a theatre that separates the stage from the auditoriu ...

and cavaliers, along with the beauty of its Baroque palaces, gardens and churches.

History

Malta - Valletta - Triq il-Merkanti 12 ies

The peninsula was previously called ''Xagħret Mewwija'' (Mu' awiya – Meuia; named during the Arab period) or Ħal Newwija. Mewwija refers to a sheltered place. Some authors state that the extreme end of the peninsula was known as Xebb ir-Ras (Sheb point), of which name origins from the lighthouse on site. A family which surely owned land became known as ''Sceberras'', now a Maltese surname as Sciberras. At one point the entire peninsula became known as Sceberras. Recent scholarly studies have however shown that the Xeberras phrase is of Punic origin and means 'the headland' and 'the middle peninsula' as it actually is.

Order of Saint John

Malte, La Valette, co-cathédrale St Jean

The building of a city on the Sciberras Peninsula had been proposed by the

Order of Saint John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

as early as 1524. Back then, the only building on the peninsula was a small watchtower dedicated to

Erasmus of Formia Erasmus of Formia, also known as Saint Elmo (died c. 303), was a Christian saint and martyr. He is venerated as the patron saint of sailors and abdominal pain. Erasmus or Elmo is also one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, saintly figures of Christ ...

(Saint Elmo), which had been built in 1488. In 1552, the Aragonite watchtower was demolished and the larger

Fort Saint Elmo Fort Saint Elmo ( mt, Forti Sant'Iermu) is a star fort in Valletta, Malta. It stands on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula that divides Marsamxett Harbour from Grand Harbour, and commands the entrances to both harbours along with Fort ...

was built in its place. In the Great Siege of 1565, Fort Saint Elmo fell to the Ottomans, but the Order eventually won the siege with the help of Sicilian reinforcements. The victorious Grand Master, Jean de Valette, immediately set out to build a new fortified city on the Sciberras Peninsula to fortify the Order's position in Malta and bind the Knights to the island. The city took his name and was called ''La Valletta''. The Grand Master asked the European kings and princes for help, receiving a lot of assistance due to the increased fame of the Order after their victory in the Great Siege.

Pope Pius V Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...

sent his military architect,

Francesco Laparelli Francesco Laparelli da Cortona (5 April 1521 – 20 October 1570) was an Italian architect. He was an assistant of Michelangelo, and later was sent by the Pope to supervise the construction of Valletta in Malta. Early career Laparelli was bor ...

, to design the new city, while Philip II of Spain sent substantial monetary aid. The

foundation stone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

of the city was laid by Grand Master de Valette on 28 March 1566. He placed the first stone in what later became Our Lady of Victories Church. In his book ''Dell’Istoria della Sacra Religione et Illustrissima Militia di San Giovanni Gierosolimitano'' ( en, The History of the Sacred Religion and Illustrious Militia of St John of Jerusalem), written between 1594 and 1602,

Giacomo Bosio Giacomo Bosio (1544–1627) was a brother of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and the historian of this order. He was the uncle of the Maltese antiquary Antonio Bosio. Biography Giacomo Bosio was born in 1544 in Chivasso, in the present ...

writes that when the cornerstone of Valletta was placed, a group of Maltese elders said: "''Iegi zimen en fel wardia col sceber raba iesue uquie''" (Which in modern Maltese reads, "''Jiġi żmien li fil-Wardija -Għolja Sciberraskull xiber raba' jiswa uqija''", and in English, "There will come a time when every piece of land on Sciberras Hill will be worth its weight in gold"). De Valette died from a stroke on 21 August 1568 at age 74 and never saw the completion of his city. Originally interred in the church of Our Lady of the Victories, his remains now rest in St. John's Co-Cathedral among the tombs of other Grand Masters of the Knights of Malta.

was the city's principal designer and his plan departed from medieval Maltese architecture, which exhibited irregular winding streets and alleys. He designed the new city on a rectangular grid plan, and without any ''collacchio'' (an area restricted for important buildings). The streets were designed to be wide and straight, beginning centrally from the City Gate and ending at Fort Saint Elmo (which was rebuilt) overlooking the Mediterranean; certain bastions were built high. His assistant was the Maltese architect

Girolamo Cassar Girolamo Cassar ( mt, Ġlormu Cassar, 1520 – 1592) was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He was the resident engineer of the Order of St. John, and was admitted into the Order in 1569. He was involved in the construction of Valletta, ...

, who later oversaw the construction of the city himself after Laparelli's death in 1570. The '' Ufficio delle Case'' regulated the building of the city as a

planning authority A local planning authority (LPA) is the local government body that is empowered by law to exercise urban planning functions for a particular area. They exist in the United Kingdom and India. United Kingdom Mineral planning authorities The role ...

. The city of Valletta was mostly completed by the early 1570s, and it became the capital on 18 March 1571 when Grand Master

Pierre de Monte Fra' Pietro del Monte (1499 − 26 January 1572) was an Italian nobleman who was the 50th Grand Master of the Order of Saint John from 1568 to 1572. Pietro del Monte was born in Italy in 1499. His original name was Guido Lotti, but took the name ...

moved from his seat at

Fort St Angelo Fort St. Angelo ( mt, Forti Sant'Anġlu or ''Fortizza Sant'Anġlu'') is a bastioned fort in Birgu, Malta, located at the centre of the Grand Harbour. It was originally built in the medieval period as a castle called the ''Castrum Maris'' ( en, Ca ...

Birgu Birgu ( mt, Il-Birgu , it, Vittoriosa), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ("''Victorious City''"), is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory of ...

to the

Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta The Grandmaster's Palace ( mt, Il-Palazz tal-Granmastru), officially known as The Palace ( mt, Il-Palazz), is a palace in Valletta, Malta. It was built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the palace of the Grand Master of the Order of St. ...

Seven Auberges were built for the Order's Langues, and these were complete by the 1580s. An eighth Auberge,

Auberge de Bavière The Auberge de Bavière ( mt, il-Berġa tal-Baviera) is a palace in Valletta, Malta. It was built as Palazzo Carneiro ( mt, il-Palazz ta' Karnirju) in 1696, and it was the residence of Grand Master Marc'Antonio Zondadari in the early 18th centu ...

, was later added in the 18th century. In Antoine de Paule's reign, it was decided to build more fortifications to protect Valletta, and these were named the

Floriana Lines The Floriana Lines ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Furjana) are a line of fortifications in Floriana, Malta, which surround the fortifications of Valletta and form the capital city's outer defences. Construction of the lines began in 1636 and they were nam ...

after the architect who designed them,

Pietro Paolo Floriani Pietro Paolo Floriani (1585–1638) was an Italian engineer and architect who designed military and theatrical buildings. Life and work Floriani was born on 26 April 1585 in the town of Macerata to Pompeo Floriani and Claudia Rotelli. In 1606 he ...

Macerata Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza ...

. During

António Manoel de Vilhena António Manoel de Vilhena (28 May 1663 – 10 December 1736) was a Portuguese nobleman who was the 66th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 19 June 1722 to his death in 1736. Unlike a number of the other Grand ...

's reign, a town began to form between the walls of Valletta and the Floriana Lines, and this evolved from a suburb of Valletta to

Floriana Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana ...

, a town in its own right. In 1634, a gunpowder factory explosion killed 22 people in Valletta. In 1749, Muslim slaves plotted to kill Grandmaster

Pinto Pinto is a Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish language, Spanish, Sephardi Jews, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian language, Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all List of countries and territories where Portuguese is an officia ...

and take over Valletta, but the revolt was suppressed before it even started due to their plans leaking out to the Order. Later on in his reign, Pinto embellished the city with

Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the early 17th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means t ...

, and many important buildings such as

Auberge de Castille The Auberge de Castille ( mt, Berġa ta' Kastilja) is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. The auberge is located at Castile Place, close to Saint James Cavalier, the Malta Stock Exchange, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. It sits at the highest poin ...

were remodeled or completely rebuilt in the new architectural style. In 1775, during the reign of Ximenes, an unsuccessful revolt known as the Rising of the Priests occurred in which Fort Saint Elmo and

Saint James Cavalier Saint James Cavalier ( mt, Kavallier ta' San Ġakbu) is a 16th-century cavalier in Valletta, Malta, which was built by the Order of St John. It overlooks St James' Bastion, a large obtuse-angled bastion forming part of the Valletta Land Front. S ...

were captured by rebels, but the revolt was eventually suppressed.

French occupation and British rule

In 1798, the French invaded the island and expelled the Order. After the Maltese rebelled, French troops continued to occupy Valletta and the surrounding harbour area, until they capitulated to the British in September 1800. In the early 19th century, the British Civil Commissioner,

Henry Pigot General Sir Henry Pigot GCMG (1750 – 7 June 1840) was a British Army officer. Military career Born the son of Admiral Hugh Pigot, Pigot was commissioned as a cornet in 1769. He served in the Netherlands in 1793 and, following the Siege of Mal ...

, agreed to demolish the majority of the city's fortifications. The demolition was again proposed in the 1870s and 1880s, but it was never carried out and the fortifications have survived largely intact. Eventually building projects in Valletta resumed under British rule. These projects included widening gates, demolishing and rebuilding structures, widening newer houses over the years, and installing civic projects. The

Malta Railway The Malta Railway was the only railway line ever on the island of Malta, and it consisted of a single railway line from Valletta to Mdina. It was a single-track line in metre gauge, operating from 1883 to 1931. The railway was known locally in ...

, which linked Valletta to Mdina, was officially opened in 1883. It was closed down in 1931 after buses became a popular means of transport. In 1939, Valletta was abandoned as the headquarters of the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet due to its proximity to Italy and the city became a flash point during the subsequent two-year long Siege of Malta.

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

air raids throughout the

caused much destruction in Valletta and the rest of the harbor area. The

, constructed at the city entrance in the 19th century, was one of the buildings lost to the raids. File:-The Harbor at Valletta, Malta- MET DP115643 (cropped).jpg, Valletta harbour c. 1850, photo by

Calvert Jones Calvert Richard Jones (4 December 1804 – 7 November 1877) was a Welsh mathematician and painter, best known for his seascapes. Life and work Jones belonged to a wealthy Swansea family. He was educated at Eton and Oriel College, Oxford, a ...

File:Goats_at_Port_Real_Wellcome_L0045092_(cropped).jpg, 1853 King's Gate File:Teatru_Rjal,_Malta_1911.jpg,

in 1911 File:Bomb Damage in Valletta, Malta, 1 May 1942. A8701.jpg, Bomb damage in Valletta during the

Contemporary

In 1980, the 24th Chess Olympiad took place in Valletta. The entire city of Valletta has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, along with

Megalithic Temples of Malta The Megalithic Temples of Malta ( mt, It-Tempji Megalitiċi ta' Malta) are several prehistoric temples, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, built during three distinct periods approximately between 3600 BC and 2500 BC on the island coun ...

and the

Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni A hypogeum or hypogaeum (plural hypogea or hypogaea, pronounced ; literally meaning "underground", from Greek ''hypo'' (under) and ''ghê'' (earth)) is an underground temple or tomb. Hypogea will often contain niches for cremated human rema ...

. On 11 November 2015 Valletta hosted the

Valletta Summit on Migration The Valletta Summit on Migration, also called the Valletta Conference on Migration, was a Summit (meeting), summit held in Valletta, Malta, on 11–12 November 2015, in which European and African leaders discussed the European migrant crisis. The ...

in which European and African leaders discussed the

European migrant crisis The 2015 European migrant crisis, also known internationally as the Syrian refugee crisis, was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe in 2015, when 1.3 million people came to the continent to reques ...

. After that, on 27 November 2015 the city also hosted part of the

Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015 The 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, also known as CHOGM 2015 was the 24th Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in Malta from 27 to 29 November. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena han ...

. Valletta was the European Capital of Culture in 2018. File:City Gate, Valletta 002.jpg,

Renzo Piano Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City (20 ...

's Valletta City Gate (2014) Parliament Building.jpg, Detail of the Parliament House (2015) File:Sacra_Infermeria_in_2016.jpg,

Mediterranean Conference Centre The Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC, mt, Dar il-Mediterran għall-Konferenzi) is a conference centre in Valletta, Malta. The building was built as a hospital in the 16th century by the Order of St. John, and it was known as the Sacra Inferm ...

, former ''Sacra Infermeria'' (2016) File:Triton Fountain.jpg, Renovated Tritons’ Fountain (2018) File:Drapeaux UE et Malte - La Valette.jpg,

Auberge d'Italie The Auberge d'Italie ( mt, Berġa tal-Italja, it, Albergo d'Italia) is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was built at various stages in the late 16th century to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Italy, and it ori ...

, renovated in 2016 to host the new

MUŻA MUŻA is an art museum located at Auberge d'Italie in Valletta, Malta. It was formerly located at Admiralty House between 1974 and 2016, when it was known as the National Museum of Fine Arts ( mt, Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arti). It houses a collect ...

('' Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arti'') File:Is-Suq tal-Belt, June 2018 (5).jpg, Renovated covered market

Is-Suq tal-Belt ''Is-Suq tal-Belt'' (; Maltese for "City Market" or "Valletta Market"), also known as the Covered Market, is a 19th-century market hall located in Valletta, Malta. It is notable for being the first building in Malta to be constructed mostly of i ...

, 2018

Government

Local government

The Valletta Local Council was established by the Local Councils Act of 1993, along with the other

local councils of Malta Since June 30, 1993, Malta has been subdivided into 68 localities, governed by local councils, mt, kunsilli lokali, meaning municipalities or borough. These form the most basic form of local government and there are no intermediate levels betwee ...

. The first election was held on 20 November 1993. Other elections were held in 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2017. The present local council was elected in 2019. The local council is housed in a building in South Street. The following people have served as Mayors of Valletta: *Hector Bruno (1993–1999) ( PN) * Paul Borg Olivier (1999–2008) ( PN) *Alexei Dingli (2008–2019) ( PN) *Christian Micallef (2019) ( PN) *Alfred Zammit (2019–) ( PL)

National government

Valletta is the capital city of Malta, and is the country's administrative and commercial hub. The

Parliament of Malta The Parliament of Malta ( mt, Il-Parlament ta' Malta) is the constitutional legislative body in Malta, located in Valletta. The parliament is unicameral, with a democratically elected House of Representatives and the President of Malta. By const ...

has been housed at the Parliament House near the city's entrance since 2015: it was previously housed at the Grandmaster's Palace in the city centre. The latter palace still houses the Office of the

President of Malta The president of Malta ( mt, President ta' Malta) is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The President is indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term and requires them to ...

, while the

houses the Office of the

Prime Minister of Malta The prime minister of Malta ( mt, Prim Ministru ta' Malta) is the head of government, which is the highest official of Malta. The Prime Minister chairs Cabinet meetings, and selects its ministers to serve in their respective portfolios. The P ...

. The

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

and many government departments are also located in Valletta.

Geography

Prelucrare 3D pentru La Valletta Harbour

The Valletta

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

has two natural harbours, Marsamxett and the

. The Grand Harbour is Malta's major port, with unloading quays at nearby Marsa. A cruise-liner terminal is located along the old seawall of the

Valletta Waterfront The Valletta Waterfront, is a promenade in Floriana, Malta, mainly featuring three prominent buildings: a church in the middle, the Pinto Stores or the ''Pinto Wharf'' on the left, and the Forni Stores or the ''Forni Shopping Complex'' on the rig ...

that

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

Grandmaster

Manuel Pinto da Fonseca Manuel Pinto da Fonseca (also ''Emmanuel Pinto de Fonseca''; 24 May 1681 – 23 January 1773) was a Portuguese nobleman, the 68th Grand Master of the Order of Saint John, from 1741 until his death. He undertook many building projects, introduc ...

built.

Climate

Valletta features a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

''Csa'') with very mild, wet winters and warm to hot, slightly long, dry summers, with an average annual temperature above during the day and . Valletta experiences a lack of precipitation during the summer months and most of the precipitation happens during the winter months. Winter temperatures are moderated by the surrounding sea, as a result, the city has very mild winters. The official climate recording station in Malta is at Luqa Airport, which is a few miles inland from Valletta. Average high temperatures range from around in January to about in August, while average low temperatures range from around in January to in August.

Cityscape

Valletta Lower Barrakka gardens Malta 2014 2

The architecture of Valletta's streets and piazzas ranges from mid-16th century Baroque to

Modernism Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...

. The city is the island's principal cultural center and has a unique collection of churches, palaces and museums and act as one of the city's main visitor attractions. When

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...

, future British Prime Minister, visited the city in 1830, he described it as "a city of palaces built by gentlemen for gentlemen," and remarked that "Valletta equals in its noble architecture, if it does not excel, any capital in

," and in other letters called it "comparable to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

and

Cádiz Cádiz (, , ) is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the Province of Cádiz, one of eight that make up the autonomous community of Andalusia. Cádiz, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, ...

" and "full of palaces worthy of

Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of th ...

." Buildings of historic importance include St John's Co-Cathedral, formerly the Conventual Church of the Knights of Malta. It has the only signed work and largest painting by Michelangelo Merisi da

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...

. The Auberge de Castille et Leon, formerly the official seat of the Knights of Malta of the Langue of Castille, Léon and Portugal, is now the office of the

. The Grandmaster's Palace, built between 1571 and 1574 and formerly the seat of the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, used to house the Maltese Parliament, now situated in a purpose-built structure at the entrance to the city, and now houses the offices of the

. The National Museum of Fine Arts is a Rococo palace dating back to the late 1570s, which served as the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet during the British era from the 1820s onwards. The

Manoel Theatre ( Maltese for "Manoel Theatre"; it, Teatro Manoel) is a theatre and important performing arts venue in Malta. The theatre is often referred to as simply "The Manoel", and is named after Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, Fr ...

( mt, Teatru Manoel) was constructed in just ten months in 1731, by order of Grand Master

, and is one of the oldest working theatres in Europe. The Mediterranean Conference Centre was formerly the Sacra Infermeria. Built in 1574, it was one of Europe's most renowned hospitals during the Renaissance. The

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

s of the port, built by the Knights as a magnificent series of bastions, demi-bastions, cavaliers and curtains, approximately high, all contribute to the unique architectural quality of the city.

Neighbourhoods

Valletta contains a number of unofficial neighbourhoods, including: *Strada Rjali – the main thoroughfare, Triq ir-Repubblika *l-Arċipierku – an area close to the Sacra Infermeria. Its name possibly derives from ''

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...

'' since it contains a number of lanes which break up the area into many "islands" of houses, or from '' archi-borgo'' since the area is located just outside

. *il-Baviera – an area around the English Curtain, bounded by Old Bakery, Archbishop, Marsamxett and St. Sebastian Streets. It is named after

. *il-Biċċerija – an area close to il-Baviera, named after the

slaughterhouse A slaughterhouse, also called abattoir (), is a facility where animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a packaging facility. Slaughterhouses that produce meat that is no ...

which was formerly located there. *il-Kamrata – an area close to the Sacra Infermeria. It is named after the Camerata, a spiritual retreat which was demolished in the 19th century and replaced by social housing. *Deux Balles ( mt, Duwi Balli) – an area close to il-Baviera. The name probably originates from the French occupation. *il-Fossa – an area close to the Jews' Sally Port and Fort Saint Elmo. It is regarded as the worst maintained area of Valletta. *

Manderaggio The Manderaggio ( mt, Il-Mandraġġ) is a neighbourhood in Valletta, Malta. It is located behind the Manderaggio Curtain of the fortifications of Valletta, on the side of Marsamxett Harbour. Originally intended as a mandracchio for galleys, it ...

( mt, il-Mandraġġ) – an area behind Manderaggio Curtain, bounded by St. Mark, St. Lucia, St. Patrick and Marsamxett Streets. This was meant to be a small harbour (

mandracchio A mandracchio is a small sheltered harbour reserved for the mooring of small boats and fishing vessels. Many mandracchios are found in Italy, including at Ancona, Genoa, La Spezia and Muggia. Naples and Trieste also had mandracchios, but they no ...

) but it was never completed, and a slum area developed instead. The slums were demolished in the 1950s and were rebuilt as housing estates.

Economy

Eurostat estimates the labour force in 2015 for the greater Valletta area at around 91,000 people. This corresponds to a share of just under 50 percent of Malta. As in Malta as a whole, tourism is an important economic sector. The most important tourism zone is the area surrounding the Grand Harbour. For the cruise industry, after several years of planning, work began in 2002 to build the Valletta Waterfront Project, a cruise terminal, in the Grand Harbour. There is also a publishing house in Valletta, Allied Newspapers ltd, a media company. This company publishes the two market-leading newspapers, Times of Malta and The Sunday Times of Malta.

Education

The Valletta Campus of the

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...

is situated in the Old University Building. It serves as an extension of the Msida Campus, especially offering international masters programmes. A

church school A Christian school is a school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization. The nature of Christian schools varies enormously from country to country, according to the religious, educational, and political cultures. In some countr ...

, "St. Albert the Great", is also situated in Valletta. The Headmaster is

Alternattiva Demokratika Democratic Alternative ( mt, Alternattiva Demokratika), sometimes referred to as AD – The Green Party, was a green political party in Malta. The party was initially founded by a coalition of former Labour Party members and environmental acti ...

politician Mario Mallia.

Culture

Valletta was designated European Capital of Culture for 2018. The year was inaugurated with an event called Erba' Pjazez (Four Squares), with shows focused in 4 plazas in the city – Triton Square,

St. George's Square St George's Square is a prestigious and very long garden square in affluent Pimlico, Central London. It benefits from gardens and a church in its central area. Near the northern acute angle, the square is intersected by Lupus Street. Pimli ...

, St. John's Square, and

Castille Square Castile, Castille or Castilla may refer to: Places Spain *Castile (historical region), a vaguely defined historical region of Spain covering most of Castile and León, all of the Community of Madrid and most of Castilla–La Mancha *Kingdom of ...

– along with other shows in other points. This was followed by the unveiling of a public art installation, Kif Jgħid il-Malti (Maltese

Sayings A saying is any concisely written or spoken expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. Sayings are categorized as follows: * Aphorism: a general, observational truth; "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth". ** Adag ...

), which featured a number of

Maltese language Maltese ( mt, Malti, links=no, also ''L-Ilsien Malti'' or '), is a Semitic language derived from late medieval Sicilian Arabic with Romance superstrata spoken by the Maltese people. It is the national language of Malta and the only offici ...

proverb figured in gypsum, in order to engage linguistic heritage.

Saint James Cavalier

, originally a raised gun platform, was converted into a Centre of Creativity in the year 2000 as part of Malta's Millennium Project. It now houses a small theatre, a cinema, music rooms and art galleries. Various exhibitions are regularly held there. It has welcomed over a million visitors since opening.

Music

The

Valletta International Baroque Festival The Valletta International Baroque Festival is one of the largest music festivals of Malta. It was founded by its present Artistic Director Kenneth Zammit Tabona in 2013. The programmatic focus is on baroque and early music. History Since its e ...

is held every year in January. Jazz music in Malta was introduced in the Strait Street area, frequented by Allied sailors during both

World War A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

s. Malta's Jazz Festival took place here. Strait Street is also known as ''The Gut''. This area is undergoing a programme of regeneration. The city's dual band clubs are the " King's Own Band Club" ( mt, L-Għaqda Mużikali King's Own) and "La Valette National Philharmonic Society" ( mt, Is-Soċjetà Filarmonika Nazzjonali La Valette).

Carnival

Valletta is the scene of the

Maltese Carnival Carnival (Maltese: ''il-Karnival ta' Malta'') has had an important place on the Maltese cultural calendar for just under five centuries, having been celebrated since at least the mid-15th century. Carnival has been a prominent celebration in the I ...

, held in February leading up to

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

. In 1823 the Valletta carnival was the scene of a human crush tragedy in which at least 110 boys perished. Suffocation of one hundred and ten boys. Extract of a private letter from Malta, of 21 February 1823. The Maltese Carnival is held every year. It is used without carnival trucks at 2020 and 2021 due to Covid, Carnival Trucks returned in 2022.

Feasts

* The feast of

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Ca ...

is celebrated on 16 July *

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

's feast is celebrated on 10 February *

Saint Dominic Saint Dominic ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientis ...

's feast is celebrated in Valletta on 4 August or before * The feast of

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

is celebrated on the third Sunday after Easter * The city's residents also conduct an annual procession in honour of

St. Rita Rita of Cascia, born Margherita Lotti (1381 – 22 May 1457), was an Italians, Italian widow and Augustinian nuns, Augustinian nun venerated as a List of Catholic saints, saint in the Roman Catholic Church. After Rita's husband died, she joine ...

In Literature and the Arts

* The poetical illustrations (painted by T. C. Dibden, engraved by J. Tingle) and (painted by

Samuel Prout Samuel Prout painted by John Jackson in 1831 Market Day by Samuel Prout A View in Nuremberg by Samuel Prout Utrecht Town Hall by Samuel Prout in 1841 Samuel Prout (; 17 September 1783 – 10 February 1852) was a British watercolourist, and ...

, engraved by J, Carter) by

Letitia Elizabeth Landon Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L. The writings of Landon are transitional between Romanticism and the Victorian Age. Her first major breakthrough ...

were both published in ''Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book'', 1837. A further poem illustrates a painting of the procession in the Strada St Giovanni painted by

and engraved by E. Challis is in ''Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book'', 1838.

Twin towns – sister cities

Valletta is twinned with: *

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

, Italy *

Cortona Cortona (, ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. It is the main cultural and artistic centre of the Val di Chiana after Arezzo. Toponymy Cortona is derived from Latin Cortōna, and from Etruscan 𐌂𐌖𐌓� ...

, Italy, since August the 26th, 2022

Transport

Malta - Valletta - Vjal Nelson - Bus terminal Valletta

Malta International Airport Malta International Airport ( mt, L-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta' Malta, ) is the only airport in Malta and it serves the whole of the Maltese Islands. It is located on the Malta (island), island of Malta, southwest of the Maltese capital Vallett ...

is from the city in the town of

Luqa Luqa ( mt, Ħal Luqa, , ) is a town located in the Southern Region of Malta, 4.3 km away from the capital Valletta. With a population of 5,945 as of March 2014, it is a small but densely populated settlement which is typical of Malta's old ...

. Malta's

public transport system Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typica ...

, which uses buses, operates mostly on routes to or from Valletta, with their central terminus just outside the

city gate A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. It is a type of fortified gateway. Uses City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods ...

. Traffic within the city itself is restricted, with some principal roads being completely pedestrian areas. In 2006, a

park and ride A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuting, commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail t ...

system was implemented in order to increase the availability of parking spaces in the city. People can leave their vehicles in a nearby

car park and transfer to a van for the rest of the trip. In 2007, a

congestion pricing Congestion pricing or congestion charges is a system of surcharging users of public goods that are subject to congestion through excess demand, such as through higher peak charges for use of bus services, electricity, metros, railways, tele ...

scheme was implemented to reduce long-term parking and traffic while promoting business in the city. An ANPR-based automated system takes photos of vehicles as they enter and exit the charging zone and vehicle owners are billed according to the duration of their stay. Valletta is served by a fleet of electric taxis which transport riders from 10 points in Valletta to any destination in the city. As of 2021, an underground Malta Metro is being planned, with a projected total cost of €6.2 billion, centred on the Valletta urban area.

Notable people

Sports

* Valletta F.C. Association Football team and Futsal team *

Valletta Lions RFC Valletta Lions RFC was a Maltese Rugby union, rugby club in Valletta. They competed in the Malta Rugby Union National Championship. External links Valletta Lions RFC
{{Valletta Rugby union teams in Malta Sport in Valletta ...

Rugby Football Union team * Valletta's

a "Regatta" (Rowing) Team, which takes part in the annual traditional Regatta on Victory Day (8 September). *

Valletta United W.P.C. Valletta United Water Polo Club is a Water Polo club from Valletta, Malta, and was founded in 1903. The club competes in the Maltese Waterpolo Premier League. For sponsorship reasons, the club was known as Valletta Videoslots between 2018 and 2 ...

, a Water Polo Club hailing from Marsamxett side *Valletta V.C., a Volleyball club. *Marsamxett Boċċi, a ''Boċċi'' Club from Marsamxett, Valletta. *Valletta St. Paul's Boċċi, a ''Boċċi'' Club from L-Arċipierku side, Valletta.

References

Notes

External links

Valletta Local Council

Valletta Living History

Valletta, Malta’s capital city and UNESCO World Heritage SiteOld maps
of Valletta from the Eran Laor Cartographic Collection, The

National Library of Israel The National Library of Israel (NLI; he, הספרייה הלאומית, translit=HaSifria HaLeumit; ar, المكتبة الوطنية في إسرائيل), formerly Jewish National and University Library (JNUL; he, בית הספרים הלא� ...

{{Authority control Capitals in Europe Local councils of Malta Mediterranean port cities and towns in Malta Populated places established in 1566 World Heritage Sites in Malta Planned capitals 1566 establishments in Malta