Valletta

Valletta is located on Malta's North East coast, 10 km from Luqa airport. Valletta occupies approximately half of the Sciberras peninsular at it's seaward end. the other half at the landward end is occupied by Florian.

The Valletta peninsula has two natural harbours, Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour. The Grand Harbour is Malta's major port, with unloading quays at Marsa. A cruise-liner terminal is located along the old seawall of the Valletta Waterfront which was built by Grandmaster Manuel Pinto de Fonseca.

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. 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. The Magisterial Palace, built between 1571 and 1574 and formerly the seat of the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, now houses the Maltese Parliament and offices of the President of Malta.

The National Museum of Fine Arts is a Rococo palace dating back to the late 1570s, which served as the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet during the British era from 1789 onwards. The Manoel Theatre (Maltese: Teatru Manwel) 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, ravelins and curtains, approximately 100 metres (330 ft) high, all contribute to the unique architectural quality of the city.
View of Valletta from Senglea

An area for people who could not afford their own residences is located within Valletta walls. Originally the Order planned a man-made creek to house the navy; however, this could not be completed. The area, known as Manderaggio (Maltese: il-Mandraġġ) became taken over by the homeless, resulting in a jumble of buildings with dark alleyways. In the 1950s, the city partially demolished the Manderaggio and rebuilt it as a housing estate within Valletta.

 

 

20 °C


Clouds, few clouds


Wind5.14 m/s
Cloudiness20 %
Temperature (min/max)20/21 °C
Pressure1013 hpa
Humidity68 %
Last update: 21 Nov 2024 @ 17:25

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