"Valletta - The capital city of Malta " a Valletta Travel Page by dowdow

Built by the Knights of St John, Valletta is not only Malta's capital city but also a United Nations UNESCO World Heritage City. The city is completely surrounded by fortifications and is built on the Sciberras peninsula, which rises steeply from two deep natural harbours, Marsamxett and Grand Harbour. The building of the city was completed in 1581, 15 years after it was started, and it is named after the Grand Master Jean de la Valette.

Francesco Laparelli, the Pope's own architect and Michelangelo's assistant, designed the city, and in 1568, work was continued by the Maltese Architect Gerolamo Cassar, when Laparelli left for active service in Crete.

Nowadays, the city is the administrative and commercial heart of Malta, the home of many locals and the place for top quality shops but not only, it is also the place where you can find some of Europe's finest churches, palaces and cultural treasures.