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Valletta

Valletta (/vəˈlɛtə/, Maltese: il-Belt Valletta, Maltese pronunciation: [vɐˈlːɛtːɐ]) is an administrative unit and the capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 was 6,444.[3] 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.[2][4] Valletta is the southernmost capital of Europe,[5][note 1] and at just 0.61 square kilometres (0.24 sq mi), it is the European Union's smallest capital city.[6][7]

Valletta
Il-Belt Valletta
Nickname: 
Il-Belt
Motto: 
City Built By Gentlemen For Gentlemen
Valletta
Map of the Maltese Archipelago with Valletta
Valletta
Valletta (European Union)
Valletta
Valletta (Mediterranean)
Coordinates: 35°53′54″N 14°30′45″E / 35.89833°N 14.51250°E / 35.89833; 14.51250Coordinates: 35°53′54″N 14°30′45″E / 35.89833°N 14.51250°E / 35.89833; 14.51250[1]
CountryMalta
RegionSouth Eastern Region
DistrictSouthern Harbour District
Capital city18 March 1571
Founded byJean de Parisot Valette
BordersFloriana
Government
 • MayorAlfred Zammit (PL)
Area
 • Capital city and local council0.61 km2 (0.24 sq mi)
 • Urban
256 km2 (99 sq mi)
Elevation
56 m (184 ft)
Population
 (Jan. 2019)
 • Capital city and local council5,827
 • Density9,600/km2 (25,000/sq mi)
 • Urban
480,134[2]
Demonym(s)Belti (m), Beltija (f), Beltin (pl) or Vallettan (m), Vallettana (f), Vallettani (pl)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
VLT
Dialing code356
ISO 3166 codeMT-60
Patron saintsSt. Dominic
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
St. Paul
St. Augustine
Day of festa3 August
10 February
WebsiteOfficial website
Official nameCity of Valletta
CriteriaCultural: i, vi
Reference131
Inscription1980 (4th Session)
Area55.5 ha

Valletta's 16th-century buildings were constructed by the Knights Hospitaller. The city was named after Jean Parisot de Valette, 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, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture, though the Second World War left major scars on the city, particularly the destruction of the Royal Opera House. The city was officially recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980.[8] 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.[8] [9] Sometimes called an "open-air museum",[10] Valletta was chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2018. Valletta is also the sunniest city in Europe.[11][12]

The city is noted for its fortifications, consisting of bastions, curtains and cavaliers, along with the beauty of its Baroque palaces, gardens and churches.

History

 
Former mural at Is-Suq tal-Belt illustrating the city's construction

The peninsula was previously called Xagħret Mewwija (Mu' awiya – Meuia; named during the Arab period[13])[14][15] or Ħal Newwija.[16] Mewwija refers to a sheltered place.[17] 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.[18][19] A family which surely owned land became known as Sceberras, now a Maltese surname as Sciberras.[20] At one point the entire peninsula became known as Sceberras.

Historical affiliations

  Hospitaller Malta 1566–1798
  French Republic 1798–1800
  Protectorate of Malta 1800–1813
  Crown Colony of Malta 1813–1964
  State of Malta 1964–1974
  Republic of Malta 1974–present

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.[21]

Order of Saint John

 
The Ottoman army bombs the Knights' Three Cities from the peninsula of Sciberras during the 1565 Great Siege.
 
Valletta and the Grand Harbour c. 1801

The building of a city on the Sciberras Peninsula had been proposed by the Order of Saint John as early as 1524.[22] Back then, the only building on the peninsula was a small watchtower[23] dedicated to Erasmus of Formia (Saint Elmo), which had been built in 1488.[24]

In 1552, the Aragonite watchtower was demolished and the larger Fort Saint Elmo was built in its place.[25]

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.[26]

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 sent his military architect, Francesco Laparelli, to design the new city, while Philip II of Spain sent substantial monetary aid. The foundation stone 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.[27]

In his book Dell’Istoria della Sacra Religione et Illustrissima Militia di San Giovanni Gierosolimitano (English: The History of the Sacred Religion and Illustrious Militia of St John of Jerusalem), written between 1594 and 1602, Giacomo Bosio 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 [l-Għolja Sciberras] kull 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").[28]

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.[27]

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, 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 47 metres (154 ft) high. His assistant was the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar, who later oversaw the construction of the city himself after Laparelli's death in 1570.[27]

The Ufficio delle Case regulated the building of the city as a planning authority.[29]

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 moved from his seat at Fort St Angelo in Birgu to the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta.

Seven Auberges were built for the Order's Langues, and these were complete by the 1580s.[30][31] An eighth Auberge, Auberge de Bavière, was later added in the 18th century.[32]

In Antoine de Paule's reign, it was decided to build more fortifications to protect Valletta, and these were named the Floriana Lines after the architect who designed them, Pietro Paolo Floriani of Macerata.[33] During António Manoel de Vilhena'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, a town in its own right.[34]

In 1634, a gunpowder factory explosion killed 22 people in Valletta.[35] In 1749, Muslim slaves plotted to kill Grandmaster Pinto and take over Valletta, but the revolt was suppressed before it even started due to their plans leaking out to the Order.[36] Later on in his reign, Pinto embellished the city with Baroque architecture, and many important buildings such as Auberge de Castille were remodeled or completely rebuilt in the new architectural style.[37]

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 were captured by rebels, but the revolt was eventually suppressed.[38]

French occupation and British rule

 
Early morning in 1967 on the notorious Strait Street known to generations of British Servicemen (especially to sailors on shore leave) as "The Gut". Bars and bordellos abounded, and brawls were common, but its popularity never waned.

In 1798, the French invaded the island and expelled the Order.[39] 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, agreed to demolish the majority of the city's fortifications.[40] The demolition was again proposed in the 1870s and 1880s, but it was never carried out and the fortifications have survived largely intact.[22]

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, which linked Valletta to Mdina, was officially opened in 1883.[41] 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.[42] German and Italian air raids throughout the Second World War caused much destruction in Valletta and the rest of the harbor area. The Royal Opera House, constructed at the city entrance in the 19th century, was one of the buildings lost to the raids.[25]

Contemporary

In 1980, the 24th Chess Olympiad took place in Valletta.[43]

The entire city of Valletta has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, along with Megalithic Temples of Malta and the Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni.[8][44] On 11 November 2015 Valletta hosted the Valletta Summit on Migration in which European and African leaders discussed the European migrant crisis.[45] After that, on 27 November 2015 the city also hosted part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015.[46]

Valletta was the European Capital of Culture in 2018.[47]

Government

Local government

The Valletta Local Council was established by the Local Councils Act of 1993, along with the other local councils of Malta.[48] The first election was held on 20 November 1993. Other elections were held in 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013,[49] 2017.[50] The present local council was elected in 2019.[51] The local council is housed in a building in South Street.

The following people have served as Mayors of Valletta:[52]

National government

Valletta is the capital city of Malta,[56] and is the country's administrative and commercial hub.[57] The Parliament of Malta 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.[58] The latter palace still houses the Office of the President of Malta,[59] while the Auberge de Castille houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. The courthouse and many government departments are also located in Valletta.[60]

Geography

 
Valletta between its two harbours

The Valletta peninsula has two natural harbours, Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour.[44] 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 that Portuguese Grandmaster Manuel Pinto da Fonseca built.[61]

Climate

Valletta features a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) with very mild, wet winters and warm to hot, slightly long, dry summers, with an average annual temperature above 23 °C (73 °F) during the day and 16 °C (61 °F). 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 16 °C (61 °F) in January to about 32 °C (90 °F) in August, while average low temperatures range from around 10 °C (50 °F) in January to 23 °C (73 °F) in August.

Climate data for Malta (Luqa Airport in the suburbs of Valletta, 1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 15.7
(60.3)
15.7
(60.3)
17.4
(63.3)
20.0
(68.0)
24.2
(75.6)
28.7
(83.7)
31.7
(89.1)
32.0
(89.6)
28.6
(83.5)
25.0
(77.0)
20.8
(69.4)
17.2
(63.0)
23.1
(73.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 12.9
(55.2)
12.6
(54.7)
14.1
(57.4)
16.4
(61.5)
20.1
(68.2)
24.2
(75.6)
26.9
(80.4)
27.5
(81.5)
24.9
(76.8)
21.8
(71.2)
17.9
(64.2)
14.5
(58.1)
19.5
(67.1)
Average low °C (°F) 10.1
(50.2)
9.5
(49.1)
10.9
(51.6)
12.8
(55.0)
15.8
(60.4)
19.6
(67.3)
22.1
(71.8)
23.0
(73.4)
21.2
(70.2)
18.4
(65.1)
14.9
(58.8)
11.8
(53.2)
15.9
(60.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 79.3
(3.12)
73.2
(2.88)
45.3
(1.78)
20.7
(0.81)
11.0
(0.43)
6.2
(0.24)
0.2
(0.01)
17.0
(0.67)
60.7
(2.39)
81.8
(3.22)
91.0
(3.58)
93.7
(3.69)
580.7
(22.86)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10.0 8.2 6.1 3.8 1.5 0.8 0.0 1.0 4.3 6.6 8.7 10.0 61
Mean monthly sunshine hours 169.3 178.1 227.2 253.8 309.7 336.9 376.7 352.2 270.0 223.8 195.0 161.2 3,054
Source: Meteo Climate,[62] MaltaWeather.com (sun data)[63]

Cityscape

 
Lower Barrakka Gardens and its monument of remembrance
 
A neighborhood map with approximate boundaries

The architecture of Valletta's streets and piazzas ranges from mid-16th century Baroque to Modernism. 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, 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 Europe," and in other letters called it "comparable to Venice and Cádiz" and "full of palaces worthy of Palladio."[64][65]

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.[66] 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 Prime Minister of Malta.[60] 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 President of Malta.[67]

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: Teatru Manoel) was constructed in just ten months in 1731, by order of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena, 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 fortifications of the port, built by the Knights as a magnificent series of bastions, demi-bastions, cavaliers and curtains, approximately 100 metres (330 ft) high, all contribute to the unique architectural quality of the city.

Neighbourhoods

 
Valletta in the foreground and Fort Saint Elmo at the front
 
Exterior and interior outlines of Valletta

Valletta contains a number of unofficial neighbourhoods, including:[68]

  • Strada Rjali – the main thoroughfare, Triq ir-Repubblika
  • l-Arċipierku – an area close to the Sacra Infermeria. Its name possibly derives from archipelago 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 Fort Saint Elmo.[69]
  • 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.[69]
  • il-Biċċerija – an area close to il-Baviera, named after the slaughterhouse which was formerly located there.[69]
  • 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.[69]
  • Deux Balles (Maltese: Duwi Balli) – an area close to il-Baviera. The name probably originates from the French occupation.[69]
  • il-Fossa – an area close to the Jews' Sally Port and Fort Saint Elmo. It is regarded as the worst maintained area of Valletta.[70]
  • Manderaggio (Maltese: 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) but it was never completed, and a slum area developed instead. The slums were demolished in the 1950s and were rebuilt as housing estates.[69]

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.[71] 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 is situated in the Old University Building. It serves as an extension of the Msida Campus, especially offering international masters programmes.[72]

A church school, "St. Albert the Great", is also situated in Valletta. The Headmaster is Alternattiva Demokratika politician Mario Mallia.[73][74]

Culture

 
Renzo Piano's Pjazza Teatru Rjal on the ruins of the Royal Opera House

Valletta was designated European Capital of Culture for 2018.[75] 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 – along with other shows in other points.[76] This was followed by the unveiling of a public art installation, Kif Jgħid il-Malti (Maltese Sayings), which featured a number of Maltese language proverb figured in gypsum, in order to engage linguistic heritage.[77][78]

Saint James Cavalier

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.[79]

Music

The Valletta International Baroque Festival is held every year in January. Jazz music in Malta was introduced in the Strait Street area, frequented by Allied sailors during both World Wars.[80] 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" (Maltese: L-Għaqda Mużikali King's Own) and "La Valette National Philharmonic Society" (Maltese: Is-Soċjetà Filarmonika Nazzjonali La Valette).[citation needed]

Carnival

Valletta is the scene of the Maltese Carnival, held in February leading up to Lent.[81] In 1823 the Valletta carnival was the scene of a human crush tragedy in which at least 110 boys perished.[82] 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

In Literature and the Arts

  • The poetical illustrations   "Valetta, Capital of Malta". (painted by T. C. Dibden, engraved by J. Tingle)[83] and   "Strada St. Ursola,—Malta". (painted by Samuel Prout, engraved by J, Carter)[84] by Letitia Elizabeth Landon were both published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837. A further poem   Jesuits in Procession—Valetta, Malta. illustrates a painting of the procession in the Strada St Giovanni painted by Samuel Prout and engraved by E. Challis is in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1838.[85]

Twin towns – sister cities

Valletta is twinned with:[86]

Transport

 
Bus station at Valletta

Malta International Airport is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the city in the town of Luqa. Malta's public transport system, which uses buses, operates mostly on routes to or from Valletta, with their central terminus just outside the city gate. Traffic within the city itself is restricted, with some principal roads being completely pedestrian areas. In 2006, a park and ride system was implemented in order to increase the availability of parking spaces in the city. People can leave their vehicles in a nearby Floriana car park and transfer to a van for the rest of the trip.

In 2007, a congestion pricing scheme was implemented to reduce long-term parking and traffic while promoting business in the city.[87][88] 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.[87]

Valletta is served by a fleet of electric taxis which transport riders from 10 points in Valletta to any destination in the city.[89]

As of 2021, an underground Malta Metro is being planned, with a projected total cost of €6.2 billion,[90] centred on the Valletta urban area.

Notable people

Sports

  • Valletta F.C. Association Football team and Futsal team
  • Valletta Lions RFC Rugby Football Union team
  • Valletta's Marsamxett Harbour 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.

Further reading

  • Bianco, Lino (2009). (PDF). Melita Theologica. University of Malta: Department of Architecture and Urban Design – Faculty for the Built Environment. 60 (2): 1–20. ISSN 1012-9588. OCLC 1587122. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2018.

References

  1. ^ Badger, George Percy (1869). Historical Guide to Malta and Gozo. Calleja. pp. 152. Castellania building.
  2. ^ a b "Population on 1 January by age groups and sex – functional urban areas". Eurostat. 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  3. ^ . Government of Malta. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Population on 1 January by broad age group, sex and metropolitan regions 2020". Eurostat. 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  5. ^ Valletta, Malta - Intercultural City - Council of Europe
  6. ^ "The 10 Smallest Countries in Europe". World Atlas. 31 May 2018.
  7. ^ "History of Valletta - Story About Valletta - Interesting Facts". www.visitmalta.com. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  8. ^ a b c "City of Valletta". UNESCO World Heritage List. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  9. ^ "Valletta travel". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  10. ^ Valletta (Malta) – The Complete Overview of Malta’s Capital City – maltauncovered.com
  11. ^ Valletta is crowned the sunniest city in Europe – bay.com.mt, 2016
  12. ^ Sunniest Cities in Europe – currentresults.com, 2016
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  33. ^ "Floriana's Pavilion from the Knights to the British". Times of Malta. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  34. ^ Armstrong, Gary; Mitchell, Jon P. (2008). Global and Local Football: Politics and Europeanization on the Fringes of the EU. Routledge. p. 44. ISBN 9781134269198.
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Notes

  1. ^ Nicosia in Cyprus is further south than Valletta, however Cyprus is geographically part of Asia, although occasionally considered a European country in political and cultural geography. The United Nations geoscheme includes Cyprus in Western Asia.

External links

  • Valletta Local Council
  • Valletta, Malta’s capital city and UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Old maps of Valletta from the Eran Laor Cartographic Collection, The National Library of Israel

valletta, this, article, about, maltese, capital, other, uses, disambiguation, maltese, belt, maltese, pronunciation, vɐˈlːɛtːɐ, administrative, unit, capital, malta, located, main, island, between, marsamxett, harbour, west, grand, harbour, east, population, . This article is about the Maltese capital For other uses see Valletta disambiguation Valletta v e ˈ l ɛ t e Maltese il Belt Valletta Maltese pronunciation vɐˈlːɛtːɐ is an administrative unit and the capital of Malta Located on the main island between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east its population within administrative limits in 2014 was 6 444 3 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 2 4 Valletta is the southernmost capital of Europe 5 note 1 and at just 0 61 square kilometres 0 24 sq mi it is the European Union s smallest capital city 6 7 Valletta Il Belt VallettaCapital city and local councilFrom top Skyline Saluting Battery Lower Barrakka Gardens St John s Co Cathedral and the city wallsFlagCoat of armsNickname Il BeltMotto City Built By Gentlemen For GentlemenVallettaMap of the Maltese Archipelago with VallettaShow map of MaltaVallettaValletta European Union Show map of European UnionVallettaValletta Mediterranean Show map of MediterraneanCoordinates 35 53 54 N 14 30 45 E 35 89833 N 14 51250 E 35 89833 14 51250 Coordinates 35 53 54 N 14 30 45 E 35 89833 N 14 51250 E 35 89833 14 51250 1 CountryMaltaRegionSouth Eastern RegionDistrictSouthern Harbour DistrictCapital city18 March 1571Founded byJean de Parisot ValetteBordersFlorianaGovernment MayorAlfred Zammit PL Area Capital city and local council0 61 km2 0 24 sq mi Urban256 km2 99 sq mi Elevation56 m 184 ft Population Jan 2019 Capital city and local council5 827 Density9 600 km2 25 000 sq mi Urban480 134 2 Demonym s Belti m Beltija f Beltin pl or Vallettan m Vallettana f Vallettani pl Time zoneUTC 1 CET Summer DST UTC 2 CEST Postal codeVLTDialing code356ISO 3166 codeMT 60Patron saintsSt DominicOur Lady of Mount CarmelSt PaulSt AugustineDay of festa3 August10 FebruaryWebsiteOfficial websiteUNESCO World Heritage SiteOfficial nameCity of VallettaCriteriaCultural i viReference131Inscription1980 4th Session Area55 5 haValletta s 16th century buildings were constructed by the Knights Hospitaller The city was named after Jean Parisot de Valette 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 Neo Classical and Modern architecture though the Second World War left major scars on the city particularly the destruction of the Royal Opera House The city was officially recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980 8 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 8 9 Sometimes called an open air museum 10 Valletta was chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2018 Valletta is also the sunniest city in Europe 11 12 The city is noted for its fortifications consisting of bastions curtains and cavaliers along with the beauty of its Baroque palaces gardens and churches Contents 1 History 1 1 Order of Saint John 1 2 French occupation and British rule 1 3 Contemporary 2 Government 2 1 Local government 2 2 National government 3 Geography 3 1 Climate 4 Cityscape 4 1 Neighbourhoods 5 Economy 6 Education 7 Culture 7 1 Saint James Cavalier 7 2 Music 7 3 Carnival 7 4 Feasts 7 5 In Literature and the Arts 8 Twin towns sister cities 9 Transport 10 Notable people 11 Sports 12 Further reading 13 References 14 Notes 15 External linksHistory EditSee also Mount Sciberras and Sciberras Peninsula Former mural at Is Suq tal Belt illustrating the city s construction The peninsula was previously called Xagħret Mewwija Mu awiya Meuia named during the Arab period 13 14 15 or Ħal Newwija 16 Mewwija refers to a sheltered place 17 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 18 19 A family which surely owned land became known as Sceberras now a Maltese surname as Sciberras 20 At one point the entire peninsula became known as Sceberras Historical affiliations Hospitaller Malta 1566 1798 French Republic 1798 1800 Protectorate of Malta 1800 1813 Crown Colony of Malta 1813 1964 State of Malta 1964 1974 Republic of Malta 1974 present 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 21 Order of Saint John Edit The Ottoman army bombs the Knights Three Cities from the peninsula of Sciberras during the 1565 Great Siege The nave of Saint John s Co Cathedral Grandmaster s Palace Valletta and the Grand Harbour c 1801 The building of a city on the Sciberras Peninsula had been proposed by the Order of Saint John as early as 1524 22 Back then the only building on the peninsula was a small watchtower 23 dedicated to Erasmus of Formia Saint Elmo which had been built in 1488 24 In 1552 the Aragonite watchtower was demolished and the larger Fort Saint Elmo was built in its place 25 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 26 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 sent his military architect Francesco Laparelli to design the new city while Philip II of Spain sent substantial monetary aid The foundation stone 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 27 In his book Dell Istoria della Sacra Religione et Illustrissima Militia di San Giovanni Gierosolimitano English The History of the Sacred Religion and Illustrious Militia of St John of Jerusalem written between 1594 and 1602 Giacomo Bosio 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 zmien li fil Wardija l Għolja Sciberras kull 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 28 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 27 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 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 47 metres 154 ft high His assistant was the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar who later oversaw the construction of the city himself after Laparelli s death in 1570 27 The Ufficio delle Case regulated the building of the city as a planning authority 29 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 moved from his seat at Fort St Angelo in Birgu to the Grandmaster s Palace in Valletta Turner s depiction of the Grand Harbour National Museum of Fine Arts Seven Auberges were built for the Order s Langues and these were complete by the 1580s 30 31 An eighth Auberge Auberge de Baviere was later added in the 18th century 32 In Antoine de Paule s reign it was decided to build more fortifications to protect Valletta and these were named the Floriana Lines after the architect who designed them Pietro Paolo Floriani of Macerata 33 During Antonio Manoel de Vilhena 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 a town in its own right 34 In 1634 a gunpowder factory explosion killed 22 people in Valletta 35 In 1749 Muslim slaves plotted to kill Grandmaster Pinto and take over Valletta but the revolt was suppressed before it even started due to their plans leaking out to the Order 36 Later on in his reign Pinto embellished the city with Baroque architecture and many important buildings such as Auberge de Castille were remodeled or completely rebuilt in the new architectural style 37 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 were captured by rebels but the revolt was eventually suppressed 38 French occupation and British rule Edit Early morning in 1967 on the notorious Strait Street known to generations of British Servicemen especially to sailors on shore leave as The Gut Bars and bordellos abounded and brawls were common but its popularity never waned In 1798 the French invaded the island and expelled the Order 39 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 agreed to demolish the majority of the city s fortifications 40 The demolition was again proposed in the 1870s and 1880s but it was never carried out and the fortifications have survived largely intact 22 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 which linked Valletta to Mdina was officially opened in 1883 41 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 42 German and Italian air raids throughout the Second World War caused much destruction in Valletta and the rest of the harbor area The Royal Opera House constructed at the city entrance in the 19th century was one of the buildings lost to the raids 25 Valletta harbour c 1850 photo by Calvert Jones 1853 King s Gate Royal Opera House in 1911 Bomb damage in Valletta during the Second World WarContemporary Edit In 1980 the 24th Chess Olympiad took place in Valletta 43 The entire city of Valletta has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980 along with Megalithic Temples of Malta and the Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni 8 44 On 11 November 2015 Valletta hosted the Valletta Summit on Migration in which European and African leaders discussed the European migrant crisis 45 After that on 27 November 2015 the city also hosted part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015 46 Valletta was the European Capital of Culture in 2018 47 Renzo Piano s Valletta City Gate 2014 Detail of the Parliament House 2015 Mediterranean Conference Centre former Sacra Infermeria 2016 Renovated Tritons Fountain 2018 Auberge d Italie renovated in 2016 to host the new MUZA Muzew Nazzjonali tal Arti Renovated covered market Is Suq tal Belt 2018Government Edit Auberge de Castille at night Renzo Piano s Parliament House Local government Edit The Valletta Local Council was established by the Local Councils Act of 1993 along with the other local councils of Malta 48 The first election was held on 20 November 1993 Other elections were held in 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2013 49 2017 50 The present local council was elected in 2019 51 The local council is housed in a building in South Street The following people have served as Mayors of Valletta 52 Hector Bruno 1993 1999 PN Paul Borg Olivier 1999 2008 PN Alexei Dingli 2008 2019 PN 53 Christian Micallef 2019 PN 54 Alfred Zammit 2019 PL 55 National government Edit Valletta is the capital city of Malta 56 and is the country s administrative and commercial hub 57 The Parliament of Malta 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 58 The latter palace still houses the Office of the President of Malta 59 while the Auberge de Castille houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta The courthouse and many government departments are also located in Valletta 60 Geography Edit Valletta between its two harbours The Valletta peninsula has two natural harbours Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour 44 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 that Portuguese Grandmaster Manuel Pinto da Fonseca built 61 Climate Edit Main article Climate of Malta Valletta features a Mediterranean climate Koppen Csa with very mild wet winters and warm to hot slightly long dry summers with an average annual temperature above 23 C 73 F during the day and 16 C 61 F 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 16 C 61 F in January to about 32 C 90 F in August while average low temperatures range from around 10 C 50 F in January to 23 C 73 F in August Climate data for Malta Luqa Airport in the suburbs of Valletta 1991 2020 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearAverage high C F 15 7 60 3 15 7 60 3 17 4 63 3 20 0 68 0 24 2 75 6 28 7 83 7 31 7 89 1 32 0 89 6 28 6 83 5 25 0 77 0 20 8 69 4 17 2 63 0 23 1 73 6 Daily mean C F 12 9 55 2 12 6 54 7 14 1 57 4 16 4 61 5 20 1 68 2 24 2 75 6 26 9 80 4 27 5 81 5 24 9 76 8 21 8 71 2 17 9 64 2 14 5 58 1 19 5 67 1 Average low C F 10 1 50 2 9 5 49 1 10 9 51 6 12 8 55 0 15 8 60 4 19 6 67 3 22 1 71 8 23 0 73 4 21 2 70 2 18 4 65 1 14 9 58 8 11 8 53 2 15 9 60 6 Average precipitation mm inches 79 3 3 12 73 2 2 88 45 3 1 78 20 7 0 81 11 0 0 43 6 2 0 24 0 2 0 01 17 0 0 67 60 7 2 39 81 8 3 22 91 0 3 58 93 7 3 69 580 7 22 86 Average precipitation days 1 0 mm 10 0 8 2 6 1 3 8 1 5 0 8 0 0 1 0 4 3 6 6 8 7 10 0 61Mean monthly sunshine hours 169 3 178 1 227 2 253 8 309 7 336 9 376 7 352 2 270 0 223 8 195 0 161 2 3 054Source Meteo Climate 62 MaltaWeather com sun data 63 Cityscape Edit Lower Barrakka Gardens and its monument of remembrance A neighborhood map with approximate boundaries The architecture of Valletta s streets and piazzas ranges from mid 16th century Baroque to Modernism 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 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 Europe and in other letters called it comparable to Venice and Cadiz and full of palaces worthy of Palladio 64 65 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 66 The Auberge de Castille et Leon formerly the official seat of the Knights of Malta of the Langue of Castille Leon and Portugal is now the office of the Prime Minister of Malta 60 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 President of Malta 67 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 Teatru Manoel was constructed in just ten months in 1731 by order of Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena 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 fortifications of the port built by the Knights as a magnificent series of bastions demi bastions cavaliers and curtains approximately 100 metres 330 ft high all contribute to the unique architectural quality of the city Neighbourhoods Edit Valletta in the foreground and Fort Saint Elmo at the front Exterior and interior outlines of Valletta Valletta contains a number of unofficial neighbourhoods including 68 Strada Rjali the main thoroughfare Triq ir Repubblika l Arċipierku an area close to the Sacra Infermeria Its name possibly derives from archipelago 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 Fort Saint Elmo 69 il Baviera an area around the English Curtain bounded by Old Bakery Archbishop Marsamxett and St Sebastian Streets It is named after Auberge de Baviere 69 il Biċċerija an area close to il Baviera named after the slaughterhouse which was formerly located there 69 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 69 Deux Balles Maltese Duwi Balli an area close to il Baviera The name probably originates from the French occupation 69 il Fossa an area close to the Jews Sally Port and Fort Saint Elmo It is regarded as the worst maintained area of Valletta 70 Manderaggio Maltese 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 but it was never completed and a slum area developed instead The slums were demolished in the 1950s and were rebuilt as housing estates 69 Economy EditEurostat 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 71 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 EditThe Valletta Campus of the University of Malta is situated in the Old University Building It serves as an extension of the Msida Campus especially offering international masters programmes 72 A church school St Albert the Great is also situated in Valletta The Headmaster is Alternattiva Demokratika politician Mario Mallia 73 74 Culture Edit Renzo Piano s Pjazza Teatru Rjal on the ruins of the Royal Opera House Saint James Cavalier at night Valletta was designated European Capital of Culture for 2018 75 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 along with other shows in other points 76 This was followed by the unveiling of a public art installation Kif Jgħid il Malti Maltese Sayings which featured a number of Maltese language proverb figured in gypsum in order to engage linguistic heritage 77 78 Saint James Cavalier Edit 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 79 Music Edit The Valletta International Baroque Festival is held every year in January Jazz music in Malta was introduced in the Strait Street area frequented by Allied sailors during both World Wars 80 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 Maltese L Għaqda Muzikali King s Own and La Valette National Philharmonic Society Maltese Is Soċjeta Filarmonika Nazzjonali La Valette citation needed Carnival Edit Valletta is the scene of the Maltese Carnival held in February leading up to Lent 81 In 1823 the Valletta carnival was the scene of a human crush tragedy in which at least 110 boys perished 82 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 Edit The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated on 16 July Saint Paul s feast is celebrated on 10 February Saint Dominic s feast is celebrated in Valletta on 4 August or before The feast of Saint Augustine is celebrated on the third Sunday after Easter The city s residents also conduct an annual procession in honour of St RitaIn Literature and the Arts Edit The poetical illustrations Valetta Capital of Malta painted by T C Dibden engraved by J Tingle 83 and Strada St Ursola Malta painted by Samuel Prout engraved by J Carter 84 by Letitia Elizabeth Landon were both published in Fisher s Drawing Room Scrap Book 1837 A further poem Jesuits in Procession Valetta Malta illustrates a painting of the procession in the Strada St Giovanni painted by Samuel Prout and engraved by E Challis is in Fisher s Drawing Room Scrap Book 1838 85 Twin towns sister cities EditSee also List of twin towns and sister cities in Malta Valletta is twinned with 86 Palermo Italy Cortona Italy since August the 26th 2022Transport Edit Bus station at Valletta Malta International Airport is 8 kilometres 5 0 mi from the city in the town of Luqa Malta s public transport system which uses buses operates mostly on routes to or from Valletta with their central terminus just outside the city gate Traffic within the city itself is restricted with some principal roads being completely pedestrian areas In 2006 a park and ride system was implemented in order to increase the availability of parking spaces in the city People can leave their vehicles in a nearby Floriana car park and transfer to a van for the rest of the trip In 2007 a congestion pricing scheme was implemented to reduce long term parking and traffic while promoting business in the city 87 88 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 87 Valletta is served by a fleet of electric taxis which transport riders from 10 points in Valletta to any destination in the city 89 As of 2021 an underground Malta Metro is being planned with a projected total cost of 6 2 billion 90 centred on the Valletta urban area Notable people EditMain page Category People from VallettaSports EditValletta F C Association Football team and Futsal team Valletta Lions RFC Rugby Football Union team Valletta s Marsamxett Harbour 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 Further reading EditBianco Lino 2009 Valletta A city in history PDF Melita Theologica University of Malta Department of Architecture and Urban Design Faculty for the Built Environment 60 2 1 20 ISSN 1012 9588 OCLC 1587122 Archived from the original PDF on 19 March 2018 References Edit Badger George Percy 1869 Historical Guide to Malta and Gozo Calleja pp 152 Castellania building a b Population on 1 January by age groups and sex functional urban areas Eurostat 2020 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Estimated Population by Locality 31st March 2014 Government of Malta 16 May 2014 Archived from the original on 21 June 2015 Retrieved 21 June 2015 Population on 1 January by broad age group sex and metropolitan regions 2020 Eurostat 2020 Retrieved 5 March 2022 Valletta Malta Intercultural City Council of Europe The 10 Smallest Countries in Europe World Atlas 31 May 2018 History of Valletta Story About Valletta Interesting Facts www visitmalta com Retrieved 29 February 2020 a b c City of Valletta UNESCO World Heritage List Retrieved 18 July 2015 Valletta travel Lonely Planet Retrieved 11 January 2023 Valletta Malta The Complete Overview of Malta s Capital City maltauncovered com Valletta is crowned the sunniest city in Europe bay com mt 2016 Sunniest Cities in Europe currentresults com 2016 thinksite eu PDF Thinksite eu Xagħret Mewwija L Istorja tal Belt Milwija aka Dragut s revenge The Malta Independent www independent com mt The Secrets of underground Valletta The Malta Independent Independent com mt p 21 footnote 163 p 231 PDF Manley Deborah 10 February 2012 Malta A Traveller s Anthology Andrews UK Limited ISBN 9781908493590 via Google Books Delbeke M Schraven M 9 December 2011 Foundation Dedication and Consecration in Early Modern Europe BRILL ISBN 978 9004217577 via Google Books de Piro Vella John Thalassic imaginaries witnesses to an unwritten history European Review of History Taylor amp Francis Retrieved 2 May 2022 via L Universita ta Malta a b Attard Sonia The Valletta Fortifications aboutmalta com Retrieved 12 July 2015 Leopardi E R 1949 The First Printed Description of Malta Lyons 1536 PDF Scientia 15 2 56 58 https www um edu mt library oar bitstream 123456789 30600 1 Triton 20Square 20and 20Bisjuttin 20Area Embelishment 20projects pdf bare URL PDF a b History of Valletta City of Valletta Retrieved 19 September 2014 Blouet Brian W October 1964 Town Planning in Malta 1530 1798 Town Planning Review Liverpool University Press 35 3 183 doi 10 3828 tpr 35 3 383v818680j843v8 a b c Gugliuzzo Carmelina 9 December 2011 Building a Sense of Belonging The Foundation of Valletta in Malta Foundation Dedication and Consecration in Early Modern Europe Booksandjournals brillonline com pp 209 224 doi 10 1163 9789004222083 010 ISBN 9789004222083 Cassar Mario L Istorja tal Ilsien Malti L Akkademja tal Malti in Maltese Archived from the original on 23 September 2015 Retrieved 19 September 2014 Graff Philippe 1994 La Valette une ville nouvelle du XVIe siecle et son evolution jusqu a nos jours Revue du Monde Musulman et de la Mediterranee Le carrefour maltais in French Publications de l Universite de Provence 71 1 157 doi 10 3406 remmm 1994 1641 ISSN 2105 2271 Rudolf Uwe Jens Berg Warren G 2010 Historical Dictionary of Malta Scarecrow Press p 33 ISBN 9780810873902 Cassar Paul 1946 The Hospital of the Order of St John in Malta PDF Scientia 12 2 57 59 Ellul Michael 1986 Carlo Gimach 1651 1730 Architect and Poet PDF Proceedings of History Week Historical Society of Malta 20 22 Archived PDF from the original on 2 March 2016 Retrieved 4 January 2016 Floriana s Pavilion from the Knights to the British Times of Malta 4 May 2014 Retrieved 18 April 2015 Armstrong Gary Mitchell Jon P 2008 Global and Local Football Politics and Europeanization on the Fringes of the EU Routledge p 44 ISBN 9781134269198 Spiteri Stephen C 2012 Hospitaller Gunpowder Magazines Arx International Journal of Military Architecture and Fortification Occasional Papers 2 6 Eltis David Bradley Keith Cartledge Paul 2011 The Cambridge World History of Slavery Volume 3 AD 1420 AD 1804 Cambridge University Press p 144 ISBN 9780521840682 Mifsud Bonnici Carmelo August 1936 Fr Emanuel Pinto de Fonseca PDF Malta Letteraria 11 8 230 Borg Muscat David 2005 Reassessing the September 1775 Rebellion a Case of Lay Participation or a Rising of the Priests Malta Historical Society Archived from the original on 21 April 2014 Zammit Andre 1986 Valletta and the system of human settlements in the Maltese Islands Ekistics Athens Center of Ekistics 53 316 317 89 95 JSTOR 43620704 Bonello Giovanni 18 November 2012 Let s hide the majestic bastions Times of Malta Retrieved 14 October 2014 Cole Beverly 2011 Trains Potsdam Germany H F Ullmann p 64 ISBN 978 3 8480 0516 1 Peter Jacobs 31 January 2016 Fortress Islands Malta Defence amp Re Supply During the Siege Pen and Sword pp 10 ISBN 978 1 4738 8255 3 24th Chess Olympiad OlimpBase Retrieved 2 March 2014 a b Gatt Oliver 2008 Valletta City of the Knights Bdlbooks com p 1 ISBN 978 99957 20 05 6 Valletta Conference on Migration Malta 11 12 November 2015 Orientation debate PDF statewatch org Council of the European Union 30 June 2015 Retrieved 12 November 2015 Queen to greet line up of despots at meeting of Commonwealth leaders in Malta Daily Telegraph 26 November 2015 Retrieved 29 November 2015 Valletta awarded the title of European Capital of Culture in 2018 gov mt Retrieved 25 June 2015 About Local Government Local Councils Association Retrieved 12 July 2015 Elezzjonijiet tal Kunsilli Lokali fis Snin li Għaddew 1993 2013 PDF lc gov mt in Maltese Archived from the original PDF on 12 July 2015 Elezzjonijiet tal Kunsilli Lokali 2015 2023 PDF lc gov mt in Maltese Archived from the original PDF on 12 July 2015 Council Members lc gov mt Retrieved 12 July 2015 Mayors from 1993 vassallohistory wordpress com 16 August 2014 Retrieved 12 July 2015 Watch Valletta 2018 was a missed opportunity says former mayor Times of Malta Retrieved 20 May 2019 Christian Micallef sworn in as new Mayor of Valletta The Malta Independent www independent com mt Retrieved 20 May 2019 Alfred Zammit is sindku tal Belt Valletta TVM www tvm com mt Retrieved 31 May 2019 The Maltese Islands Government of Malta Archived from the original on 17 July 2015 The Capital City Valletta Government of Malta Archived from the original on 27 June 2015 Maitland Robert 2014 Tourism in National Capitals and Global Change Routledge pp 135 142 ISBN 9781317850076 Il Palazz tal Belt Office of the President of Malta in Maltese Archived from the original on 26 September 2015 a b Auberge de Castille et Leon PDF National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands 28 December 2012 Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Guillaumier Alfie 2005 Bliet u Rħula Maltin Vol 2 Klabb Kotba Maltin p 947 ISBN 99932 39 41 0 Luqa Weather Averages 1991 2020 Meteo climat bzh dyndns org Archived from the original on 10 October 2014 Retrieved 2 June 2015 Malta s Climate Maltaweather com Archived from the original on 6 August 2015 Retrieved 21 October 2013 Valletta the Capital City Maltaexpo com Retrieved 30 November 2008 LP21 Valletta Citta Umilissima Lapel Pin Collectables Our Products Maltaexpo com Retrieved 30 November 2008 Patrick James 2007 Renaissance and Reformation Marshall Cavendish p 194 ISBN 978 0 7614 7651 1 Grandmaster Palace PDF National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands 28 December 2012 Archived from the original PDF on 7 May 2016 Zahra Lorenzo 1999 Laqmijiet ta Postijiet fil Belt Valletta PDF Melita Historica 2 23 55 Archived from the original PDF on 17 April 2016 a b c d e f Valletta Action Plan Integrated Cultural Heritage Management Plan Valletta Local Council pp 16 18 Archived from the original on 17 April 2016 Gauci Anisia 2011 Regeneration of Jews Sally Port Il Fossa Valletta University of Malta Archived from the original on 17 April 2016 Restoring and reviving Valletta s waterfront timesofmalta com Retrieved 17 July 2005 Valletta Campus Youth Information Youthinfo gov mt Retrieved 3 June 2018 Find Us Stalbert edu mt Retrieved 3 June 2018 People Alternattiva Demokratika Alternativtiva org mt Retrieved 3 June 2018 Valletta 2018 Valletta 2018 Erba Pjazez Vallrtta2018 org Retrieved 3 June 2018 A bum a bird and a pig Valletta 2018 unveils Kif Jgħid Il Malti public art installations The Malta Independent Independent com mt Retrieved 3 June 2018 Arts amp Entertainment Timesofmalta com Retrieved 3 June 2018 St James Cavalier Theatre Overview in Valletta Malta Island of Gozo Gozo Tourism Association Retrieved 30 September 2014 What are the best events taking place throughout the year in Malta The Telegraph 1 September 2017 ISSN 0307 1235 Retrieved 30 October 2022 Cassar Pullicino Joseph October December 1949 The Order of St John in Maltese folk memory PDF Scientia 15 4 167 Archived from the original PDF on 17 April 2016 Niles Hezekiah ed March September 1823 Melancholy Affair Niles Weekly Registrar Baltimore William Ogden Niles pp 189 190 Landon Letitia Elizabeth 1836 picture Fisher s Drawing Room Scrap Book 1837 Fisher Son amp Co Landon Letitia Elizabeth 1836 poetical illustration Fisher s Drawing Room Scrap Book 1837 Fisher Son amp Co Landon Letitia Elizabeth 1836 poetical illustration Fisher s Drawing Room Scrap Book 1837 Fisher Son amp Co Landon Letitia Elizabeth 1836 picture Fisher s Drawing Room Scrap Book 1837 Fisher Son amp Co Landon Letitia Elizabeth 1837 picture and poetical illustration Fisher s Drawing Room Scrap Book 1838 Fisher Son amp Co Palermo and Valletta together for 2018 Cultural twinning at Palazzo Asmundo palermoworld it Palermo World 30 December 2017 Retrieved 18 September 2019 a b CVA System The Purpose Of Controlled Vehicular Access Technology Archived from the original on 6 March 2012 Retrieved 18 July 2015 Valletta traffic congestion considerably reduced MaltaMedia News 6 May 2007 Retrieved 5 April 2008 Galea Debono Fiona 15 June 2007 Valletta gets its own clean taxi service Times of Malta Retrieved 24 June 2015 Government unveils 25 station 6 2 billion underground Metro proposal Times of Malta October 2021 Retrieved 2 October 2022 Notes Edit Nicosia in Cyprus is further south than Valletta however Cyprus is geographically part of Asia although occasionally considered a European country in political and cultural geography The United Nations geoscheme includes Cyprus in Western Asia External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valletta Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Valletta Valletta Local Council Valletta Living History Valletta Malta s capital city and UNESCO World Heritage Site Old maps of Valletta from the Eran Laor Cartographic Collection The National Library of Israel Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Valletta amp oldid 1135933891, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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