Valletta, Malta

Valletta is the capital of Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. Established in the sixteenth century by the Order of the Knights of Saint John, Valletta has been an important military and commercial port for the past five hundred years. Numerous battles have been fought for control of Valletta, but the city has gained a unique architecture and culture that is found nowhere else in the world. Declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1980, Valletta holds an international reputation as a cultural treasure.

Landscape

Malta is located in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and to the north of Libya. Malta is actually an archipelago of seven distinct islands. Three of these seven islands are inhabited, and Valletta lies on the largest, Malta Island. Together, the islands of Malta compose an area of 316 square kilometers (121 square miles). The islands are composed mostly of limestone and have very little arable soil to support any agriculture or forestry. There are no rivers or lakes anywhere on the islands, and fresh water is collected from the rain or by deep wells bored into the limestone.

Valletta is situated at the end of the long narrow Scibberas peninsula, flanked on either side by the two natural harbors of Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour. Valletta is one of the smallest capitals in the world in terms of land area, with the entire city consisting of no more than 0.55 square kilometers (0.31 square miles). The city is built on the side of Mount Scibberas, which rises up from the harbor at sea level to a height of 17 meters (51 feet).

Valletta has a Mediterranean climate and has consistently been ranked as one of the best retirement locations in European travel magazines. Winters are usually mild, with temperatures rarely falling below 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit). Summers are sunny and hot, with temperatures rising to an average of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), but daily highs often climb higher. Average annual rainfall is only 600 millimeters (24 inches). A dry season usually occurs in the summer months.

People

Since the German aerial bombings of World War II over Valletta, the population of the city has decreased from its peak numbers. However, the city remains the political and commercial hub of the island. According to 2018 estimates from the US Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook, the population of the urban area of Valletta is approximately 213,000 inhabitants.

The population of Valletta is similar to the islands of Malta as a whole. The two official languages are English and Maltese, a Semitic language derived from Maghrebi Arabic that borrows words from Sicilian. Italian is also widely spoken. While there is freedom of religion in Malta, Roman Catholicism is the official religion of the state. The US Central Intelligence Agency reported that as of 2006, more than 90 percent of the population was officially Roman Catholic. Since education is free in Malta, the population is highly literate and educated.

Economy

For much of its history, Valletta relied on its strategic importance as a port to fuel its economy. Valletta was a refuel and refit stop used by many military and commercial ships operating in the Mediterranean Sea when sail- and coal-powered ships were the norm. However, Valletta's strategic importance declined with the invention of steam- and diesel-powered ships in the late nineteenth century; the harbor could not accommodate the new ships. Additionally, the destruction caused by the aerial bombardment in World War II further disrupted the port's economic value. In 1956, the British lost control over the Suez Canal, resulting in the withdrawal of the Royal Navy from Valletta.

At the time, the Maltese economy faced several strong challenges. As there was little agriculture on the island, nearly 80 percent of the nation's food had to be imported. There also existed little fresh water and no domestic energy sources. The economy had to be reworked to compete in the postwar world. The Maltese crafted an economic policy that shifted the island into new industries. While the harbor in Valletta was repaired and modernized to attract foreign trade, especially in ship refit and repair, it was the government-directed investment into the textile and electronic industries that helped transform the economy. A highly educated workforce allowed these two trades to flourish and soon created an export market. Most importantly, the government began to promote Malta as a tourist destination, and tourism began to slowly and steadily grow. According to the Malta Tourism Authority, in 2019 the country drew 2.7 million inbound visitors. Though tourism plummeted in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, by 2022, Malta welcomed 2.3 million inbound visitors. However, the country's cruise ship traffic remained well below pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, 765,696 cruise passengers visited, while just 489,571 arrived in 2022.

In 2004, Malta joined the European Union (EU) and next fulfilled the requirements to adopt the euro as its official currency. Malta has also continued to invest in its financial and banking sectors. In the 2010s, Valletta grew its reputation as an attractive location for start-up companies, with initiatives such as Silicon Valletta forming to help foster communication and connection.

Landmarks

Valletta contains many of Malta's historical and cultural treasures. Constructed in the sixteenth century, Valletta has some of the finest examples of High Renaissance and Baroque architecture and art found in Europe. Valletta's cultural legacy convinced UNESCO to name the city a World Heritage Site in 1980.

The most famous church on the island is the St. John's Co-Cathedral, one of the most perfectly preserved examples of sixteenth century Baroque architecture. The cathedral was built between 1572 and 1578 as a tribute to the Knights of St. John, who were the primary defenders of Malta. The interior of the church was designed with intricately carved stone walls and high vaulted ceilings. The walls were designed and decorated by Mattia Preti, a famous Italian Baroque artist, who painted scenes from the life of St. John onto the wall. In addition, the church holds two works by the Italian master Caravaggio, "St. Jerome" and "The Beheading of St. John the Baptist," the second of which is considered Caravaggio's masterpiece. The church also holds ornate marble tombstones for the many deceased knights of the order buried in the cathedral.

The Parliament of Malta sits in the former palace for the Grandmasters of the Knights of St. John. Constructed in 1571 by the Italian architect Gerolimo Cassar, the Grandmaster's Palace served as the personal quarters of the Grandmaster until 1798. The palace contains numerous rooms and the famous Neptune Plaza where a bronze statue of the sea god Neptune looks out over onlookers. The interior of the building also hosts two armory museums.

Designed as military stronghold, Valletta contains many well-preserved military fortifications. Fort St. Elmo, which stands on the seaward side of Valletta, is the original location of Valletta. Although destroyed by the numerous unsuccessful Turkish assaults during the siege of 1565, Fort St. Elmo was rebuilt two years later as the defensive bulwark in the new city of Valletta. It contains the War Museum as well as the police academy.

The Manoel Theater is in the center of Valletta. The theater was built in 1772 and still operates as the national theater of Malta. The ornate interior is considered an architectural treasure and the theater is the third-oldest surviving public theater in all of Europe.

History

In the sixteenth century, Malta was handed over to the Knights of the Order of St. John to defend Europe against the ships of the Ottoman Turks. Angered by the attacks of the Knights against Ottoman shipping, the Turks laid siege to the island in 1565. Under the command of Grandmaster Jean Parisot de Valette, the Knights successfully defended the island during the five month siege. Emerging victorious from the Turkish onslaught, the Knights swore to rebuild new defenses around Malta. They chose the Scibberas peninsula as the site of their main fortification, which they named Valletta in honor of their commander.

Valletta became an architectural treasure; the transformation was largely funded by the large fortunes amassed by the knights from family wealth back in Europe and the plunder stolen from Ottoman ships. For the next two centuries, Valletta was a rich and wealthy city. However, as the Ottoman Turks began to be pushed back from the frontiers of Europe, the opportunities for plunder grew slimmer. During the eighteenth century, the power of the Knights began to decline significantly.

In 1798, while en route to conquer Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte requested safe access to the Valletta harbor for his ships from the Knights. Once allowed within the harbor and past the guns of the Valletta fortress, Bonaparte turned his guns on the city and demanded surrender. The Knights surrendered and Bonaparte had them expelled from Malta. After thoroughly looting the city, Bonaparte set sail for Egypt, and left behind a French garrison. The native Maltese rebelled against the French. Admiral Horatio Nelson blockaded the city in support of the rebellion. The French surrendered and turned the island over to the British in 1800.

The British ruled Malta for the next 150 years. Valletta was a key installation for naval boats and served as headquarters for the British Mediterranean fleet that defended the Suez Canal. In World War II, Valletta became a key target for the Italian and German air forces during the war in North Africa. From 1940 to 1943, Valletta became one of the most heavily bombed areas in Europe. Furious air battles raged in the skies over Valletta and hundreds of civilians died in bombing raids. In recognition of the gallantry of the Maltese people, King George VI of England awarded the entire island the George Cross, the highest civilian honor in the United Kingdom. The medal is on public display in Valletta.

After the war, Valletta underwent significant reconstruction to recover from the bombing. In 1964, Malta gained independence from the United Kingdom and named Valletta as its national capital. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Malta transformed into a freight transshipment center, a financial-services hub, and a tourist destination.

In 2012, Valletta, along with one other city, was chosen to serve as the 2018 European Capital of Culture by the European Commission. As part of the designation, the city planned, over several years, hundreds of projects and events that were carried out as it hosted the title in 2018.

Bibliography

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Mifsud, Duncan. "Urban Regeneration of Valletta." Times of Malta, 1 July 2013, www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130701/opinion/Urban-regeneration-of-Valletta.476126. Accessed 22 Dec. 2016.

Rex, Juliet. "Valletta Travel Guide." Telegraph, 15 Sept. 2016, www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/malta/articles/malta-travel-guide. Accessed 22 Dec. 2016.

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Valletta European Capital of Culture 2018, vol. 18, 2014.