"Valletta -a fortified city of baroque... " a Valletta Travel Page by babettu

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 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.