The foundation stone of Valletta was laid by the Grandmaster of the Order of Saint John, Jean Parisot de la Valette, on March 28, 1566; The Order, which was the long-time ruler of the city and the island, decided to found a new city on the Xiberras Peninsula just after the end of the Siege of Malta in 1565, so as to fortify the Order’s position in Malta, effectively binding the Knights to the island. 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 city's plan was somewhat new to the Maltese Islands, as while other towns and cities had irregular winding streets and alleys; the new city had a rectangular design, without any Collacchio (an area restricted for important buildings). The streets were to be wide and straight, with the one in the middle starting from the City Gate and ending up at Fort Saint Elmo on the other end. Some of the bastions were to be 153 feet (47 meters) tall. After the Knights and the brief French interlude, the next building boom in Valletta occurred during the British rule. Gates were widened, buildings demolished and rebuilt, houses widened and civic projects installed; however, the whole city and its infrastructure were damaged by air raids in World War II, notably losing its majestic opera house constructed at the city entrance in the 19th century.
Labels: Travel information
posted by Hills @ 11:44 PM
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