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Valletta has the grandeur and the rich cultural and historical magnificence of the fortified city. The foundation of the modern city was laid by the Knights of St John. |
Designed and built not only to be a fortress city, but also home to some of the finest works of 16th - 18th century Europe, Valletta stands as a true manifestation of Malta's 7000 years of tumultuous and complex history.
Valletta founded by and named after Grand Master Jean de la Valette, is a masterpiece of the baroque; a European Art City; and a World Heritage City. But there are many more fascinating facets of Valletta. Vallette himself was buried in the city some three years later. Today Valletta is an exquisite combination of the past and the present, historical heritage and modern technology. Valletta is also Malta's capital city: the administrative and commercial heart of the Islands.
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Within its limited boundaries, the city reflects some of Malta's rich heritage of archaeology, history, architecture, art and culture. Museums, palaces including the Grand Masters Palace, gardens, fabulous churches such as St Johns Co Cathedral, adorned in riches that date back to the Knights of Malta. |
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The Museum and Oratory within the St John's Co-Cathedral includes one of the most precious art treasures in Malta - Caravaggio's painting The Beheading of St John.
The Barracca Gardens command a breath-taking panorama of the Grand Harbour and just when u think you have seen it all - votive statues, niches, fountains and coats of arms high up on parapets - the city yields up squares, courtyards, gardens and any number of cafés, right on cue.
Valletta hosts vast cultural programmes. Street events are staged against the city's magnificent baroque architecture and floodlit bastions. There is theatre and music to enjoy, from avant garde art to traditional church festas. The city is a delight to shop in narrow side streets are full of tiny shops selling antiques, maps, books, prints and jewellery. Valletta's main streets - Republic Street and Merchants Street- are famous for top quality fashion, music and much more.
