Valletta ( ; , ) is the

capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

and one of its 68

council areas For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" (), which are all governed by single-tier authorities designated as "councils". They have the option under the Local Government (Gaelic Names) (Sc ...

. Located between the

Grand Harbour The Grand Harbour (; ), also known as the Port of Marsa, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been substantially modified over the years with extensive docks ( Malta Dockyard), wharves, and fortifications. Description The h ...

to the east and

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 Ha ...

to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital city, it is a commercial centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the southernmost capital of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, and at just , it is the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

'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, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there ...

. The city was named after the Frenchman

Jean Parisot de Valette Fra' Jean "Parisot" de (la) Valette (; – 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 , he fought with distin ...

, who succeeded in defending the island against an Ottoman invasion during the

Great Siege of Malta The Great Siege of Malta (Maltese language, Maltese: ''L-Assedju l-Kbir'') occurred in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire attempted to conquer the island of Malta, then held by the Knights Hospitaller. The siege lasted nearly four months, from 18 May t ...

. The city is

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

in character, with elements of

Mannerist Mannerism 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 Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

, Neo-Classical and

Modern architecture Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural movement and style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco and later postmodern movements. Modern architectur ...

, though the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

. The city was officially recognised as a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

in 1980. The city has 320 monuments, all within an area of 0.55 square kilometres (0.21 sq mi), making it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world. Sometimes called an "open-air museum", Valletta was chosen as the

European Capital of Culture A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can ...

for 2018. Valletta was also listed as the sunniest city in Europe in 2016. The city is noted for its fortifications, consisting of

bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...

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. Curtains are often hung on the inside of a building's windows to block the passage of light. For instan ...

and

cavaliers The term ''Cavalier'' () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of Charles I of England and his son Charles II of England, Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum (England), Int ...

, along with the beauty of its

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

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, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic Church, Catholic Military order (religious society), military order. It was founded in the Crusader states, crusader K ...

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 ), was a Christianity, Christian saint and Christian martyrs, martyr. He is venerated as the patron saint of sailors and abdominal pain. Erasmus or Elmo is also one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, s ...

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

Fort Saint Elmo Fort Saint Elmo () 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 Tigné and Fort Ri ...

was built in its place. In the Great Siege of 1565, Fort Saint Elmo fell to the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

, but the Order eventually won the siege with the help of Sicilian reinforcements. The victorious Grand Master,

Jean de Valette Fra' Jean "Parisot" de (la) Valette (; – 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 , he fought with distinct ...

, 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, OP (; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (and from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 January 1566 to his death, in May 1572. He was an ...

sent his military architect, Francesco Laparelli, to design the new city, while

Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...

sent substantial monetary aid. The

foundation stone A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry Foundation (engineering), foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entir ...

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'' (), 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 Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or 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 St John's Co-Cathedral () is a Catholic co-cathedral in Valletta, Malta, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1573 and 1578, having been commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the Con ...

among the tombs of other Grand Masters of the

Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...

. Francesco Laparelli 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 In urban planning, the grid plan, grid street plan, or gridiron plan is a type of city plan in which streets run at right angles to each other, forming a grid. Two inherent characteristics of the grid plan, frequent intersections and orthogon ...

, 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 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 ...

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 (, 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 1567. He was involved in the construction of Valletta, initially as an ...

, 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 ( or ) 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 (; ). It was rebuilt by the Order of Saint John as a bastioned fort ca ...

Birgu Birgu ( , ), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ('Victorious City'), is an old Fortifications of Birgu, fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the Port Region, Malta, Port Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory ...

to the

Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta The Grandmaster's Palace (), officially known as The Palace (), is a palace in Valletta, Malta. It was built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the palace of the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798, ...

Seven Auberges were built for the Order's Langues, and these were complete by the 1580s. An eighth Auberge, Auberge de Bavière, was later added in the 18th century. In

Antoine de Paule Fra' Antoine de Paule (c. 1551 – 9 June 1636) was elected the 56th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller (the Order of Malta) on 10 March 1623. He died on Malta thirteen years later, on 9 June 1636, after a long illness and at the age of 85. ...

's reign, it was decided to build more fortifications to protect Valletta, and these were named the

Floriana Lines The Floriana Lines () 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 named after the military engi ...

after the architect who designed them,

Pietro Paolo Floriani Pietro Paolo Floriani (26 April 1585 – 27 May 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 R ...

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 (ri ...

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

, 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, Spanish, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all Portuguese-speaking countries and is also widely present in Spanish-speaking countries, Italy, India (especially in Mangalore, Karnata ...

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 late 16th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means to ...

, and many important buildings such as

Auberge de Castille The Auberge de Castille (), historically in full known as the Auberge de Castille et Portugal, is an Inn, auberge in Valletta, Malta. The auberge is located at Castile Place, close to Saint James Cavalier, the Malta Stock Exchange, and the Upp ...

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 The Rising of the Priests (), also known as the Maltese Rebellion of 1775 and the September 1775 Rebellion, was an uprising led by Maltese clergy against the Order of Saint John, who had sovereignty over Malta. The uprising took place on 8 ...

occurred in which Fort Saint Elmo and

Saint James Cavalier Saint James Cavalier () 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. St James was one of nine plan ...

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 M ...

, 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 (rail), single-track line in Metre gauge railway, metre gauge, operating from 1883 ...

, which linked Valletta to

Mdina Mdina ( ; ), also known by its Italian epithets ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortifications of Mdina, fortified city in the Western Region, Malta, Western Region of Malta which served as the island's former capital, from antiquity ...

, was officially opened in 1883. It was closed down in 1931 after

buses A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

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, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and

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

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 , photo by

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

File:Goats_at_Port_Real_Wellcome_L0045092_(cropped).jpg, King's Gate 1884–1905 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 The 24th Chess Olympiad (), organized by FIDE and comprising an open and a women's tournament, as well as several other events designed to promote the game of chess, took place between November 20 and December 6, 1980, at the Mediterranean Confer ...

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 () 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 country of Malta. They had been claimed ...

and the

Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni A hypogeum or hypogaeum ( ; plural hypogea or hypogaea; literally meaning "underground") is an underground temple or tomb. Hypogea will often contain niches for cremated human remains or loculi for buried remains. Occasionally tombs of thi ...

. 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 was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and Human migration, migrants into Europe, mostly from the Middle East. An estimated 1.3 million people came to the continent to request Right of asyl ...

. 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 hand ...

. Valletta was the

in 2018. File:City Gate, Valletta 002.jpg,

Renzo Piano Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable works include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), Kansai International Airport in Osaka (1994), the Whitney ...

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

Parliament House Parliament House may refer to: Meeting places of parliament Australia * Parliament House, Canberra, Parliament of Australia * Parliament House, Adelaide, Parliament of South Australia * Parliament House, Brisbane, Parliament of Queensland * P ...

(2015) File:Sacra Infermeria in 2016.jpg,

Mediterranean Conference Centre The Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC, ) 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 Infermeria or the Holy Infirmary (). It was ...

, 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 (, ) is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was built in various stages in the late 16th century to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Italy, and it originally had a Mannerist design by Girolam ...

, 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 (Valletta), Admiralty House between 1974 and 2016, when it was known as the National Museum of Fine Arts (). It houses a collection ...

('' Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arti'') File:The interior after its restoration in 2018.jpg, Renovated covered market

Is-Suq tal-Belt ''Is-Suq tal-Belt'' (; ), 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 iron. The building was severely damaged in World ...

, 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, , meaning municipalities or boroughs, and considered by the Maltese as the equivalent to basic villages or towns, where appropriate. These form the mo ...

. 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 () 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 constitutional law, all gover ...

has been housed at the

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

, while the

houses the Office of the

Prime Minister of Malta The prime minister of 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 prime minister holds office b ...

. The

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

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 only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

has two natural harbours,

Marsamxett 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 Ha ...

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 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, introd ...

built.

Climate

Valletta features a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''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 and a long seasonal lag. 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 was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

. 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, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

, 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 ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

and

Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...

" 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 ...

." Buildings of historic importance include

St John's Co-Cathedral St John's Co-Cathedral () is a Catholic co-cathedral in Valletta, Malta, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1573 and 1578, having been commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the Conv ...

, formerly the Conventual Church of the

. It has the only signed work and largest painting by Michelangelo Merisi da

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

. 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

. Admiralty House is a Baroque palace dating to the late 1570s. It was the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet during the British era from the 1820s onwards. From 1974 until 2016, it was the site of the National Museum of Fine Arts. The

Manoel Theatre (Maltese for "Manoel Theatre"; ) 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, Fra António Manoel d ...

() 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 The Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC, ) 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 Infermeria or the Holy Infirmary (). It was ...

. Built in 1574, it was one of Europe's most renowned hospitals during the Renaissance. The

fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...

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

. Its name possibly derives from ''

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...

'' 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 Auberge de Bavière. *il-Biċċerija – an area close to il-Baviera, named after the

slaughterhouse In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a mea ...

which was formerly located there. *il-Kamrata – an area close to the

. It is named after the Camerata, a spiritual retreat which was demolished in the 19th century and replaced by social housing. *Deux Balles () – 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 () 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 became a slum area ...

() – 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 th ...

) 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 Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

is an important economic sector. The most important tourist 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 The ''Times of Malta'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Malta. Founded in 1935, by Lord and Lady Strickland and Lord Strickland's daughter Mabel, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in Malta. It has the widest circu ...

'' 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 religious school run on Christian principles or by a Christian organization. These schools often include religious education and worship in their curriculum. They may also have a distinct Christian mission or philosophy. ...

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

Alternattiva Demokratika Democratic Alternative (), 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 activists in 1989. On 1 August 20 ...

politician Mario Mallia.

Culture

Valletta was designated

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. 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 concise expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. A saying often shows a wisdom or cultural standard, having different meanings than just the words themselves. Sayings are categorized as follows: * ...

), which featured a number of

Maltese language Maltese (, also or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language derived from Siculo-Arabic, late medieval Sicilian Arabic with Romance languages, Romance Stratum (linguistics), superstrata. It is the only Semitic languages, Semitic language pred ...

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 music, baroque and early music. Histor ...

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 War, conflict that involves most or all 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 War I ...

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" () and "La Valette National Philharmonic Society" ().

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 ...

, held in February each year, leading up to

Lent Lent (, 'Fortieth') is the solemn Christianity, Christian religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical year in preparation for Easter. It echoes the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Christ, t ...

. There were no carnival trucks in 2020 or 2021 due to the

Covid-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, but trucks returned in 2022. In 1823 the Valletta carnival was the scene of a human crush tragedy in which at least 110 boys perished.

Feasts

* The feast of

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is a Roman Catholic Titles of Mary, title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated as patron saint, patroness of the Carmelites, Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on M ...

is celebrated on 16 July *

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

's feast is celebrated on 10 February *

Saint Dominic Saint Dominic, (; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilians, Castilian Catholic priest and the founder of the Dominican Order. He is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientists, and he a ...

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

Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berbers, Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia (Roman province), Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced th ...

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, OSA (born Margherita Ferri Lotti; 1381 – 22 May 1457), was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun. After Rita's husband died, she joined a small community of nuns, who later became Augustinians, where she was known both for pr ...

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. Landon's writings are emblematic of the transition from Romanticism to Victorian literature. Her first major b ...

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 ( ; ; , 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 province. The ...

, Italy *

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

, 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 language, Etr ...

, Italy, since August 26, 2022 *

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

, Greece *

Byblos Byblos ( ; ), also known as Jebeil, Jbeil or Jubayl (, Lebanese Arabic, locally ), is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000BC and continuously inhabited ...

, Lebanon *

Piran Piran (; ) is a town in southwestern Slovenia on the Gulf of Piran on the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the three major towns of Slovenian Istria. A bilingual city, with population speaking both Slovene and Italian, Piran is known for its medieva ...

, Slovenia

Transport

Malta - Valletta - Vjal Nelson - Bus terminal Valletta

Malta International Airport Malta International Airport is the only airport in Malta, and it serves the whole of the Maltese Islands. It is located on the island of Malta, southwest of the Maltese capital, Valletta, in the town of Luqa, and occupies the location of the f ...

is from the city in the town of

Luqa 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 older towns and vi ...

. Malta's

public transport system Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

, 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 commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail transport, r ...

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 A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. There is some variation in the scope of the word across the different English-speaking countries. The smallest vans, microvans, are used for transporting either goods or ...

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, tel ...

scheme was implemented to reduce long-term parking and traffic while promoting business in the city. An

ANPR Automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR; see also other names below) is a technology that uses optical character recognition on images to read vehicle registration plates to create vehicle location data. It can use existing closed-circuit t ...

-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 The Malta Metro is a proposed rapid transit system for the Mediterranean island of Malta. Background Malta does not currently have any railways, and car ownership in Malta is exceedingly high, considering the very small size of the islands; it i ...

is being planned, with a projected total cost of €6.2 billion, centred on the Valletta urban area.

Virtu Ferries Virtu Ferries is a Malta, Maltese company founded in 1988 that operates ferry services from Malta to Sicily by catamaran. The company is part of the Virtu Holdings. It has a subsidiary Venezia Lines which runs seasonal services from Venice. It c ...

offer passenger and goods services to

Pozzallo Pozzallo () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern Italy. Pozzallo is now a major summer tourist destination: as of March 2020, two beaches in Pozzallo hold a Blue Flag award, presented by the FEE and given to ...

and

Catania Catania (, , , Sicilian and ) is the second-largest municipality on Sicily, after Palermo, both by area and by population. Despite being the second city of the island, Catania is the center of the most densely populated Sicilian conurbation, wh ...

, Sicily.

Notable people

Sports

* Valletta F.C. Association Football team and Futsal team * Valletta Lions RFC 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., 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; ; ), formerly Jewish National and University Library (JNUL; ), is the library dedicated to collecting the cultural treasures of Israel and of Judaism, Jewish Cultural heritage, heritage. The library holds more ...

{{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 Cities built on a grid 1566 establishments in Malta