Valletta is the capital city of Malta with a population of 6,315 and is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, where Scebberras Hill juts out into the surrounding harbors. The city is Baroque in character; however, it has elements of Mannerism, Neo-Classical with hints of Modern architecture located in selected areas. In 1980 the City of Valletta was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The population of Valletta has steadily decreased over the years, and is now reduced to about a third of its peak. This process was heavily accelerated after World War II as new development in outlying suburbs marked a shift of the population away from the capital city, but it continues as the centre of Malta’s commercial and administrative activity. The city contains several buildings of historic importance, amongst which are St John’s Co-Cathedral, formerly the Conventual Church of the Knights of Malta and home to the largest single work by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, his only signed work, and a priceless collection of 17th century Flemish tapestries; the Auberge de Castille et Leon, formerly the official seat of the Knights of Malta of the Langue of Castille, Léon and Portugal, now the office of the Prime Minister of Malta; the Magisterial Palace, built between 1571 and 1574, formerly the seat of the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, now housing the Maltese Parliament and the offices of the President of Malta; and the National Museum of Fine Arts.
What’s in a Name
The official name the Order of Saint John gave to the city was Humilissima Civitas Valletta (“The Most Humble City of Valletta”); however, with the building of bastions, curtains and ravelins, along with the beauty of the baroque buildings along its streets, it became known as Superbissima (“Most Proud”), amongst the ruling houses of Europe. In Maltese it is colloquially known as Il-Belt, simply meaning “The City”.
Etymology of Malta
The origin of the term Malta is uncertain, though the modern day variation is from the Maltese language. One commonly stated point of origin (although now proven false) is that the name can be traced back to the Phoenician word Maleth meaning “a haven”; however, even earlier than Phoenician influence on the island, Malta had a period of Greek influence dating back to 700 BCE. The Greeks called the island Melita meaning “honey” or “honey-sweet”. Malta has long been known for its unique production of honey, due to an endemic species of bee which lives on the island.
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posted by Hills @ 11:45 PM
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