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VALLETTA
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"The city built by gentlemen
for gentlemen"
Sir Walter Scott
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| If you've ever wondered what sort
of prize you'd get for saving Europe, look no further than Valletta.
Named after La Valette, the Grandmaster who masterminded Malta's
successful stand against the Turkish siege of 1565, Valletta
became the city of the Knights of the Order of St John and the
seat of Malta's government. While travelling through the Mediterranean,
Sir Walter Scott described Valletta as 'the city built by gentlemen
for gentlemen'. Today it's a beautifully preserved 16th-century
walled city, small enough to cover in a few hours without sweating
too much in the Mediterranean sun. In fact, the streets were
carefully laid out to channel cool breezes in from the harbour. |
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Situated on the northeast coast
of Malta, Valletta is the capital, and is built on the promontory
of Mount Sciberras which juts out into the middle of a bay.
This dissects the bay into two deep harbours: the Grand Harbour
to the east and the Marsamxett to the west. Valletta is a
rough rectangle at the tip of a peninsula on the coast, just
a few hundred metres across in either direction and thus surrounded
by water on its northern, eastern and southern sides.
| The city was named after Jean Parisot de la Valette
who was the Grand Master of the Order of the Knight Hospitallers
(Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem). |
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This famed religious order of hospitallers was founded
in Jerusalem in the 11th century and made their base
in Malta after they were expelled from Rhodes by the
Ottoman Turks. During the time of Grand Master La Valette,
in 1565, the Knights and the Maltese managed to suppress
a siege on the island by the forces of Süleyman
the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in what
was to become known as one of history's greatest sieges.
Following the siege, the building of the city began
in the same year 1565 in order to create a base for
the defence of the island. Although Grand Master La
Valette managed to lay the first stone, he died before
its completion. Most of the embellishments of Valletta
were done during the time of Grand Master La Cassiere,
especially the magnificent St John's Co-Cathedral. The
reign of the Knights of St John eventually came to an
end with the successful invasion by Napoleon who occupied
Malta on his way to Egypt. A Maltese revolt against
the French garrison was the catalyst for the occupation
of Valletta by the British in 1800.
Valetta is also the spot where the Italian fleet
surrendered to the Allies in 1943.
(For more details see the History
section). |
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Valletta's network of streets is laid out in an orthogonal
grid dominated by a main artery which crosses the length
of the entire city and opens up into a series of squares
at its geometric centre, around the Palace of the Grand
Masters. |
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The city architecture is inspired by Italian Renaissance planning
principles, and served as an early model of urban design. Valletta
is one of the most important planned towns of the Renaissance. It
equals in its noble architecture, any capital in Europe, while its
timeless beauty and artistic treasures make it a well-deserved World
Heritage site.
There are a number of superb museums here as well as historical
sites that are worth visiting. The main thoroughfare in the city
is Republic Street. You'll find all the main shops and character-filled
side streets leading off from here. For those interested in shopping,
Merchant's Street and Lucia Street are the places to go for the
most interesting merchandise. Lucia Street is famous for the exquisite
silver and gold filigree jewellery sold there. Merchant Street specializes
in souvenirs and is also home to a large open market.
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Auberge de Castille, Castille Place
The eight nationalities of the Knights of St John each had
their own base, which were known as auberges. They
were built by Gerolomo Cassar between the years 1571 and 1590.
Several of these structures still exist - the most impressive
of them is probably the Auberge de Castille, once the palace
of the Spanish and Portuguese langue. This building, with
its baroque sandstone facade later also served as the headquarters
of the British Army and now houses the office of the Prime
Minister.
The National Museum of Archaeology, Republic Street
Also housed in one of the auberges, Auberge de Provence,
this museum, the largest on the island, has exhibits ranging
from Iron and Bronze Age artefacts to treasures found in the
ancient temples at Tarxien. Two major attractions at the museum
are the figurines of the voluptuous Venus of Malta and the
Sleeping Princess taken from the Hypogeum underground burial
site. These images of local fertility goddesses date back
to the Neolithic period. Having a look at the many other fantastic
exhibits, taken from Malta's tombs and temples to avoid exposing
them to erosion, will make you want to visit the actual sites.
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St John's Co-Cathedral, St John's Square
The cathedral is one of the most famous attractions on the island.
Behind its austere exterior, the interior is a sumptuous mixture
of gilded tracery, marble mosaic floors set with tombstones commemorating
the knights of old and a lapis lazuli altar behind which is a remarkable
marble group of the Baptism of Christ. Dating back to 1572, the
Cathedral was constructed to be the conventual church of the Order
and the Knights spared no expense on the main body and its chapels.
The man who built the auberges, Gerolamo Cassar, was once again
commissioned for the construction of St John's.
| It is said that his training as a military engineer was
the reason for the sober exterior. The wonderfully lavish
interior consists of a rectangular central chamber with chapels
on both sides. Paintings, Flemish tapestries and murals by
Caravaggio, Mattia Preti and other prominent 16th century
artists adorn its walls, dome and most of the chapels. The
arms of the various Grand Masters hang in the chapels. The
chapel of Italy contains Caravaggio's painting of St Jerome
and the Oratory features the same artist's Beheading of St
John. The 12 Grand Masters are buried in the cathedral's crypt,
the first one being La Valette.
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National Library (Biblioteca), Republic Square
Also known as the Biblioteca, this is a grand, arcaded building
that was extensively rebuilt toward the end of the 18th century.
The library was originally built in 1555, and was initially used
by the Order of St John as a depository for all books owned by deceased
knights. Any sale of a book that had been previously owned by a
knight became an offence. One can find many interesting books here
that were written about Malta by British visitors to the islands
in the 17th and 18th centuries. A highlight is the letter in which
Henry VIII declared himself head of the Church of England.
The Palace of the Grand Masters, Republic Street
This wonderful palace, built 500 years ago as the abode of the
Grand Master of the Order of St John, is an excellent example of
the splendour in which the Grand Masters of the Order of St John
lived.
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Its armory has a collection of more than 6,000 pieces
of 16th century armour and weaponry. The Tapestry Chamber
contains a number of Gobelin (famous Parisian tapestry factory)
tapestries with tropical scenes depicting South America, Africa,
the Caribbean and India. They were originally designed for
Louis XIV. Don't miss the Throne Room, which has several frescoes
depicting the Great Siege by an assistant of Michelangelo,
Matteo d'Aleccio. The Hall of the Ambassadors was originally
the audience chamber of the Grand Master. It is also known
as the Red Room as it is decorated in crimson. Portraits of
British monarchs from King George III to Elizabeth II and
chandeliers dating from the 17th century decorate the State
Dining Room. It now serves as the seat of the President and
the Maltese parliament.
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Manoel Theatre, Old Theatre Street
This fabulous old theatre is said to be the oldest theatre in Europe
still functioning within its original structure. Built under the
direction of Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena in 1731, this magnificent
building, with its 22-carat gilded ceiling, hosts numerous performances
and exhibitions every year. It was originally intended to be used
as an all purpose theatre staging tragedies, religious plays, comedies,
cantatas and operas. On its opening night the Italian Knights performed
Scipiones tragedy Merope. The theatre has seen dark days. It was
used as a dance hall and cinema before becoming run-down due to
the building of the new Royal Opera House in the city. The new Opera
House was destroyed by the heavy World War II bombings and attention
once again focused on the Manoel with Italian and British experts
overseeing the painstaking restoration. Today you can again marvel
at the Manoel in all its glory. It is decorated with antiques taken
from the auberges and Viennese chandeliers; an excellent setting
for the classical concerts and lectures that now take place here.
Fort St Elmo
A star-shaped fort overlooking the harbour, Fort St Elmo became
famous during the Ottoman Turk siege of 1565. The Fort now contains
the National War Museum. Most of the exhibits here pertain to World
War II but there is representation of earlier history. The George
Cross awarded to the people of Malta for their bravery in 1942 by
King George VI is displayed here, with the following inscription:
"To honour her brave people I award
The George Cross to the island of Malta
To bear witness to a heroism and devotion
That will long be famous in history"
King George VI
There is a photographic section which bears witness to just
how badly the bombing during World War II laid waste to Malta.
Fort St Elmo also features re-enactments of military procedures. |
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The Holy Infirmary (Sacra Infirmeria)
One of the dedications of the Knights, who originally started out
as hospitallers, was to build a hospital wherever they set up base.
They began the Sacra Infermeria in 1574. Indeed, the modern day
Medical School which started out in the Sacra Infermeria which had
an anatomical theatre is one of the oldest in Europe. There was
a time when the Sacra Infermeria had the world's longest hospital
ward, 155m (508 feet), and enjoyed a wide reputation for its exceptional
standards of medicine. Patients were fed off silver plates until
1798, when Napoleon confiscated them and had them melted down. Situated
on the landward side of the Fort St Elmo, the Infirmary was damaged
during World War II but subsequently restored and reopened in 1979
as a conference centre and auditorium. The dungeons of the Sacra
Infermeria now host a life-size exhibition of life in the infirmary
at the time of the Knights, as well as depicting such eras from
Maltese history as the Black Death and the insurrection against
the French. Visitors interested in the history of the island can
visit the Malta Experience in the auditorium below this building.
More than 3,000 slides covering 5,000 years of the island's history
are shown.
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National Museum of Fine Arts
Situated in South Street, this museum is set in a 16th century
palace. The collection takes up 3 floors. It houses several
superb collections ranging from medieval Italian art and 18th
century French paintings to 20th century sculpture. Highlights
must be Mattia Preti's baroque paintings and 20th century
sculpture by Antonio Sciortino. Italian and French painters
take up all of the ground floor along with a representation
of modern Maltese art. There are also memorabilia of the Order
of St John in the form of silverware, ceramics and portraits
in the basement.
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St James' Cavalier
Originally starting out as a structure concerned with fortification
and defence of the city, this has been renovated lately to become
a centre for the arts. Indeed, it hosts numerous exhibitions throughout
the year from collections mainly from Europe, but also from beyond.
Grand Harbour area
A large section of the city, especially on the Grand Harbour
side, is surrounded by 16th century walls. Several forts,
gardens and a bastion form part of these ramparts. The Upper
and Lower Barracca Gardens, originally the private gardens
of the Italian Knights of St John, at the end of Mediterranean
Street, offer breathtaking views of the harbour and the city.
Situated in the Lower Barracca Gardens is the Siege Bell of
Malta, a ten-tonne bell erected in memory of the thousands
of people who died on the island during World War II.
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Harbour cruises are very popular in Valletta and are also an excellent
way to get to see a different view of the city and to learn even
more of its history. The boat visits all the little creeks, affording
great views of the docks, forts and bastions.
Open Market
The town has a bustling market in the Floriana suburb on Sunday
mornings and another one in Merchants Street from Monday to Saturday
starting early morning till lunchtime.
Toy Museum
This is located in Republic Street, and houses antique toys of
days gone by.
Casa Rocca Piccola
This is a very nicely preserved private townhouse with period furniture
and decorations. It is still lived in but is open to the public
in the morning.
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Churches
Valletta can justifiably be called the city of churches.
Ranging from magnificent cathedrals to small chapels, Valletta
has a number of magnificent churches. Besides St Johns Co-Cathedral,
the 65m (213ft) spire of St Paul's Anglican Cathedral in Independence
Square, is an important landmark and dominates the skyline
when seen from one of the harbour tour vessels. The Church
of Our Lady of Victories in South Street also bears the distinction
of being one of the oldest buildings on the island. It dates
back to 1565. The Church of Our Lady of Victories, built in
1566, is the oldest church in Valletta and was built to commemorate
the victory over the Turks. |
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