Valletta City – Capital of Malta

Valletta, Capital of Malta 400
Valletta, Capital of Malta
Photo by: zoonabar, Creative Commons

Valletta, capital of Malta, is located to the east of the island. It covers an area of about 7491 square kilometers and the population here is about 7213.

Valletta features a number of constructions built in Neo-Classical, Mannerist and Modern architecture. A major part of the city was destroyed in the World War II leaving the historical constructions in ruins. In 1980 Valletta was added as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The major sites in the city are

St. John’s Co Cathedral
It is a unique cathedral with a barrel shaped ceiling and a single massive painting of Mattai Preti. The marble flooring inside the cathedral features a number of colors and it is also one of the world’s best floors. It is a major tourist spot and it opens at 9:30 am and closes at 4:30 pm.

The Cathedral Museum
The Cathedral Museum features the two important works of Caravaggio where one of the works is the Beheading of St. John the Baptist and the other work is Caravaggio displaying himself as a knight.

The Palace of the Grand Masters
It was built in the 17th century and in the present days it is used as the President’s office. It houses the collection of Knight’s armoury and it is open to the public in between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The National Museum of Fine Arts
This museum houses the collection of Mattia Preti paintings. In addition there are several paintings of Caravaggisti, Eradi and Ribera.

Fort St. Elmo
Situated on the edge of the peninsula, it was built by the Knights in the year 1551 and today it serves as a police academy.

The National Library
The National Library is located close to the Grandmaster’s Palace. It was built by the Knights in the year 1798.

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