Valletta is the capital city of Malta. The foundation stone of Valletta was laid by the Grandmaster of the Order of Saint John, Jean Parisot de la Valette, on 28 March 1566; The Order (which was the long-time ruler of the city and the island) decided to found a new city on the Scebberras peninsula just after the end of the great Siege of Malta, so as to fortify the Order's position in Malta, effectively binding the Knights to the island. The city was designed by Francesco Lapparelli, while many of the most important buildings were built by Gerolamo Cassar. Valletta, hence, is an urban area which boasts many buildings from the 16th century and onwards, but most of them were built during the time of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (the Knights Hospitaller, or Knights of Malta). The Valletta peninsula, which is fed by the two natural harbours of Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour, is Malta's major port, with unloading quays at Marsa.
Transportation in Valletta
By Car: Due to the size of the island, all areas are within easy reach.
By Bus: Malta's public transport system, which uses buses, operate mostly on routes to or from Valletta, with their central terminus just outside the city's entrance.
By Ferry: Valletta connects to Italy via the port of Salerno with one crossing a week, sailing duration is from 15 hours.
The Co-Cathedral of St. John is the highlight of Valletta and the Maltese Islands. Amongst the treasures found in the Cathedral are the unique Caravaggio Painting depicting the beheading of St. John, an extraordinary paving of more than 300 marble in-lay tomb slabs and a splendid vaulted central nave with frescos of Mattia Preti. The National Museum of Archaeology displays an exceptional array of artefacts from Malta’s unique prehistoric periods starting with the first arrival of man in the Ghar Dalam period (5200 BC) and running up to the Tarxien period (2500 BC). The National War Museum in Fort St Elmo ranks among the most popular tourist venues on the Maltese Islands. The museum mainly represents Malta’s important military role in the post-1800 period under British rule, especially during the Second World War. Casa Rocca Piccola is a privately owned and a much loved family home. The value of Casa Rocca Piccola lies in its ability to provide unique historical evidence into the customs and traditions of the Maltese nobility over the last 400 years. The Palace Armoury is one of the world’s greatest arms collections housed in their original buildings, and ranks among the most valuable historic monuments of European culture.
