While traveling through the Mediterranean,
Sir Walter Scott described Valletta
as 'the city built by gentlemen for gentlemen'. Today it's a beautifully
preserved 16th-century walled city, small enough to cover in a few hours
without sweating too much in the Mediterranean sun. Guarding the harbor are two
gargantuan fortresses, St.Elmo, where there is a war museum, and Ricasoli. If one is not looking up in Valletta,
then one will probably be looking down, at the tombstones of the Knights of the
Order of St John in St John's Cathedral.
St. John’s
Cathedral
St. John’s
Cathedral was built between 1573 and 1578. It was designed by the Maltese
military architect Gerolamo Cassar, who built several of the more prominent
buildings in Valetta. The inside was largely designed by Mattia Preti, the
Calabrian artist and Knight. Preti designed the intricate carved stone walls
and painted the vaulted ceiling and side altars with scenes from the life of St
John. St. John's
was originally the regular church of the Knights of St. John, but grew to equal
prominence with the archbishop's cathedral at Mdina
The President’s Palace
The President’s Palace was once the Palace of the Grand Master of the
Order of St. John. The
palace is a treasure trove of art. In the Tapestry Chamber hangs a unique
collection of Gobelin tapestries. Frescoes depicting the Great Siege of 1565,
by Perez d' Aleccio, adorn the Hall of St Michael and St George, formerly the
Order's Supreme Council Hall. The decorations on the ceiling of the corridors are
by Nicolo Nasini. Many of the State Apartments are embellished with friezes
describing episodes of the Order's history. In the various State Apartments are
outstanding works of art by famous painters.
Museum of Archeology
The more important collections covering Maltese archaeology
are housed in the Auberge de Provence, Valletta,
one of the Inns of the Knights of St. John. Collections of prehistoric pottery,
sculpture, statuettes, stone implements and personal ornaments recovered from
the Maltese megalithic temples and other pre-historic sites are exhibited.
Typical examples of tomb furniture of the Punic and Roman periods are also
displayed.