Valletta history

Valletta was built by the Knights of St John just after the Great Siege of 1565, during which the vastly outnumbered knights turned back the might of the hitherto invincible Ottoman Empire and thus arguably saved Western Europe.

Riches poured into Malta from grateful courts across the continent and much of this went into constructing the new city. The Turks never returned but in 1942 Malta was at the centre of world events once more due to its strategic importance to the Allies.

Once again, Valletta took a fearful pounding from a vastly superior force (this time the German Luftwaffe) but it held firm, and thus helped shape world events for a second time in its history.

The honey-coloured streets of Valletta, with many buildings dating back several centuries, are a sight in themselves and wherever you look there is evidence of the Knights of St John - from their auberges (inns) to their hospital, their forts, their fortifications, their cathedral and greatest of all, the Grand Master's Palace.

There are a number of exhibitions and 'experiences' reinterpreting the past, but the best way to get a handle on the history of Valletta is to take a boat trip around Grand Harbour and a guided tour of Fort St Elmo before visiting the Grand Master's Palace.