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"Valletta -a fortified city of ..." a Valletta Travel Page by babettu
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Real Name: Stephen Buhagiar
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Valletta -a fortified city of baroque riches

by babettu - last update: May 28, 2005

The Building of a City

Valletta overlooking Marsamxett harbour
Valletta, a UNESCO world heritage site is the capital city of Malta and is situated on the northeast coast of the island. Built on Mount Sciberras, it is the city named after Jean Parisot de La Valette who was the Grand Master of the Order of the Knight Hospitallers ( Knights of St John of Jerusalem ).
This religious order was founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century and made their base in Malta after they were expelled from Rhodes by the Ottoman Turks.
During the time of Grand Master La Valette in 1565, the Knights and the Maltese managed to suppress a Siege on the Island by the Forces of Suleyman the Magnificent, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, this was known as one of history's great seiges.
The Grand Master Jean Parisot de La Valette
The building of the city of Valletta began in the same year 1565, following the seige. At the Grand Master's request the Pope sent his own architect and Michelangelo's assistant, Francesco Laparelli to Malta to help in the building of Valletta and plans for the city were drawn in three days.
The street plan of Valletta is based on a more or less uniform grid.
Republic street divides one side of the city from another and runs from Fort St Elmo to City Gate.
Many of the streets that run parellel to Republic Street fall steeply as you get closer to the tip of the peninsula.
Transverse streets begin as flights of stairs at each end. These stairs do not conform normal dimensions, since they were constructed so as to allow the Knights in heavy armour to be able to climb steps.
The Bastions surrounding the city are indeed inpressive. The Grand Harbour is lined with a string of bastions and protecting the entrance to the harbour is the Fort St Elmo and Fort Ricasoli. Shielding the harbour's flank are the walls of Birgu and Senglea.
Although the Grand Master La Valette managed to lay the first stone of this city he died before its completion.
Our Lady of Victory - the foundation of Valletta

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Pros:"Lots of places to visit & sightseeing"
Cons:"Evenings are quiet as there is no night life"
In A Nutshell:"A city worth visiting"
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babettu's Valletta Travelogues
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Comments for babettu about Valletta
iwys Wed Aug 6, 2008 23:47 UTC
 Ecellent tips. I really liked Valletta.
codrutz Mon Nov 19, 2007 22:32 UTC
 Valletta seems great .. so many years of history. I like the St. Paul's, very interesting
BIRZIE_OLDTIMER Mon May 28, 2007 11:18 UTC
 This great City has so much history. It is flanked by a magnificent Grand Harbour on one side and Marsamxett Harbour on the other side. It was a fortress built by the Knight. Truly worth visiting.
Propermark Sat Apr 7, 2007 16:16 UTC
 Happy Easter!
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