Valletta

Valletta pictures, taken mostly on the 22nd of December 2006
Valletta seen from Birgu Valletta as seen from Birgu, Upper Barracca Gardens approximately at the center Main gate Entrance to the city area from the bus station : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Upper Barrakka Gardens One of Valletta's most beautiful parks, it was created in 1775 on the bastion of St. Peter and Paul. In the park there are several statues, including one from Sir Winston Churchill, and a sculpture by the Maltese sculptor Antonio Sciortino, entitled Les Gavroches (The street boys). The garden was the gift of an eighteenth-century Italian knight. It was originally intended to offer recreation to the knights of the Italian langue, or department, of the Order of Saint John. It is the highest point of the city walls, and thus its bordering terrace offers a clear view over the Grand Harbour and the old towns of Senglea and Vittoriosa, as well as over the shipyard and the lower-lying parts the capital. : 2006, Malta, Upper Barracca, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, puisto Upper Barrakka Gardens One of Valletta's most beautiful parks, it was created in 1775 on the bastion of St. Peter and Paul. In the park there are several statues, including one from Sir Winston Churchill, and a sculpture by the Maltese sculptor Antonio Sciortino, entitled Les Gavroches (The street boys). The garden was the gift of an eighteenth-century Italian knight. It was originally intended to offer recreation to the knights of the Italian langue, or department, of the Order of Saint John. It is the highest point of the city walls, and thus its bordering terrace offers a clear view over the Grand Harbour and the old towns of Senglea and Vittoriosa, as well as over the shipyard and the lower-lying parts the capital. : 2006, Malta, Upper Barracca, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, puisto
Upper Barrakka Gardens Upper Barrakka Gardens, statue of Lord Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland, 6th Count of Catena, GCMG (24 May 1861 – 22 August 1940) was a Maltese and British politician and peer, who served as Prime Minister of Malta, Governor of the Leeward Islands, Governor of Tasmania, Governor of Western Australia and Governor of New South Wales. : 2006, Malta, Upper Barracca, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, puisto View towards the Three Cities Valletta and the Three Cities, Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua Victoria Gate and city walls Valletta, a view from the Upper Barrakka Gardens, Victoria Gate is in the middle of the picture : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, muuri, ranta Ta' Liesse The Notre Dame De Liesse church at Valletta was built between 1737 and 1740 after the design of Architect Andrea Belli and under the supervision of the capo maestro Clement Zahra. The church suffered extensive damage during an air-raid in World War Two and consequently its façade was partially reconstructed. : 2006, Malta, Ta' Liesse, Valletta, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus
Street view Narrow Valletta street and some laundry Triq Sant Orsla Triq Sant Orsla : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Mediterranean-style balconies Maltese balconies : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Shy cats A pair of cats hiding. Cats were everywhere : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, kissa, loma
Lion The De Vilhena Lion, so named due to the coat of arms of the Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena upon which the lion stands that is also the heraldic emblem of this Grand Master. : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Laundry day Valletta house : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Quarry wharf Quarry Wharf : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Lower Barrakka Gardens Lower Barrakka Gardens, neo-classical temple folly at the centre of the park. : 2006, Lower Barracca Gardens, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, puisto
Lower Barrakka Gardens Lower Barrakka Gardens : 2006, Lower Barracca Gardens, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, puisto Enea Enea,sculpting by Ugo Attardi at the Lower Barracca Gardens : 2006, Enea, Lower Barracca Gardens, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, patsas, puisto The Siege Bell The Siege Bell War Memorial commemorates the victory of the Allied forces during the Second Siege of Malta from 1940-1943. : 2006, Malta, The Siege Bell, Valletta, kaupunki, loma The Siege Bell The Siege Bell War Memorial commemorates the victory of the Allied forces during the Second Siege of Malta from 1940-1943. : 2006, Malta, The Siege Bell, Valletta, kaupunki, loma
The Siege Bell The Siege Bell War Memorial commemorates the victory of the Allied forces during the Second Siege of Malta from 1940-1943. : 2006, Malta, The Siege Bell, Valletta, kaupunki, loma The Siege Bell The Siege Bell War Memorial commemorates the victory of the Allied forces during the Second Siege of Malta from 1940-1943. : 2006, Malta, The Siege Bell, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Living close to water Mediterranean Street, view towards the Siege Bell : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Public transport A local bus : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma
Cute bus A local bus : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Fort St. Elmo A moat surrounding Fort St. Elmo : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma National War Museum National War Museum : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, museo, sotamuseo St. Elmo's Fortress Fort St. Elmo. Prior to the arrival of the Knights of Malta in 1530, a watchtower existed on this point. Reinforcement of this strategic site commenced in 1533. After the Dragut Raid of 1551, during which the Turks sail unopposed into Marsamxett Harbour, work commenced on a major expansion, and by the time of the Ottoman Siege of Malta in 1565, this fortification had been reinforced and extended into a modest star fort. Fort Saint Elmo was the scene of some of the most intense fighting of the 1565 siege, and it withstood massive bombardment from Turkish cannon deployed on Mount Sciberras that overlooked the fort and from batteries on the north arm of Marsamextt Harbour, the present site of Fort Tigne. The initial garrison of the fort was around one hundred knights and seven hundred soldiers, including around four hundred Italian troops and sixty armed galley slaves. : 2006, Malta, St. Elmo's Fortress, Valletta, kaupunki, linnoitus, loma
Auberge de Bavière The Auberge de Bavière (Maltese: Berġa ta' Baviera) is one of the eight auberges of the langues of the knights of the Order of Saint John in Valletta, Malta. It was built as a private palace and housed the Anglo-Bavarian langue from 1784 until the French occupation of Malta in 1798. Palazzo Carniero was built in 1696 by the Portuguese Balì Fra Gaspare Carniero on a site where a lime kiln had stood. The building was designed by the Maltese architect Carlo Gimach, who was a personal friend of Carniero. The building was one of the last examples of austere and staid architecture in the 17th century. The site was rented for 31 scudi per year for the term of his life and that of one other person nominated by him, and thereafter reverted to the common treasury. The palace was the residence of Grandmaster Marc'Antonio Zondadari from 1702 until his death in 1722. In December 1782 the Elector of Bavaria, through Gaetano Bruno, bought the palazzo for 20000 scudi and it began to be used of the newly formed Anglo-Bavarian Langue which was instituted by Grandmaster de Rohan two years later in 1784. : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Santa Claus is coming Waiting for Christmas : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Laundry Curmi carage, old balcony and some laundry : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma House of Catalunya House of Catalunya in Marsamxetto Road, Valletta originally consisted of three fine Baroque houses built in 1692-1694 at the expense of the Langue of Aragon to house the Knights of the Priory of Catalunya. Part of the land on which the new priory was built had been acquired as far back as 20 September 1569 by the Knights Antiguo de Cabrera and Martino de Lawrie acting on behalf and in representation of the Langue of Aragon, this for the purpose of building their grand auberge which, on completion, only occupied part of this acquired land. The rest of the land to accommodate the new Priory of Catalunya was purchased in 1692 during the grand mastership of the Frenchman Adrien de Wignacourt. When completed, the three houses of the Priory of Catalunya were separated from the 16th century Auberge of Aragon by a narrow lane. : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma
Parking Garages under the street : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma St. Paul's St Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral, designed by William Scamp (1801-1872) and built in 1839-44. : 2006, Malta, St. Paul's, Valletta, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, uskonto Mary and Christ Wall decoration, very likely Virgin Mary and Jesus, yet again. : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Shrine Mary and Jesus : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma
You better not fall Strange Santas : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Flowers 'oi! A flower, gov? : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Lion Fountain The Lion Fountain, Misraħ San Ġwann, is one of two identical fountains, the other sporting a Unicorn - from the British Coat-of-Arms. They are located to the left and right of the Cathedral entrance, and were sculpted out of the local limestone by Maltese sculptor Mariano Gerada (1766-1823). They originally delivered water transported to Valletta from the highlands around Mdina by means of an aqueduct developed by Grandmaster Alof de Wignacourt. : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, leijona, loma, lähde Feeling bad Santa with heart burns, evidently : 2006, Malta, kaupunki, loma
On the cannon Riding the cannon : 2006, Malta, kaupunki, loma History I'm gonna shoot the whole day down : 2006, Malta, kaupunki, loma St. John's co-cathedral St. John's co-cathedral was built by the Knights of Malta between 1573 and 1578, having been commissioned in 1572 by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the conventual church of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St John, known as the Knights of Malta. The Church was designed by the Maltese military architect Glormu Cassar : 2006, Malta, St- John's co-cathedral, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus, uskonto St. John's co-cathedral St. John's co-cathedral : 2006, Malta, St- John's co-cathedral, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus, sisäkuva, uskonto
St. John's co-cathedral Crèche at St. John's co-cathedral : 2006, Malta, St- John's co-cathedral, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus, sisäkuva, uskonto St. John's co-cathedral St. John's co-cathedral : 2006, Malta, St- John's co-cathedral, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus, sisäkuva, uskonto St. John's co-cathedral St. John's co-cathedral : 2006, Malta, St- John's co-cathedral, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus, sisäkuva, uskonto St. John's co-cathedral St. John's co-cathedral, a grave : 2006, Malta, St- John's co-cathedral, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus, sisäkuva, uskonto
St. John's co-cathedral St. John's co-cathedral : 2006, Malta, St- John's co-cathedral, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus, sisäkuva, uskonto St. John's co-cathedral St. John's co-cathedral : 2006, Malta, St- John's co-cathedral, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus, sisäkuva, uskonto St. John's co-cathedral St. John's co-cathedral : 2006, Malta, St- John's co-cathedral, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, rakennus, sisäkuva, uskonto Candies A Maltese Christmas : 2006, Joulu, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, koriste, loma
Happy reindeer Rudolph and his sack : 2006, Joulu, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, koriste, loma Attorney-General office Palace Square (formerly St George's Square) and office of the Attorney-General. It was previously known as the Main Guard. The portico was added by the British during the 19th century; the main building was built by the Knights of St John. This picture was taken in 2006, now this square is no longer car park but it has fountains instead. : 2006, Main Guard, Malta, Palace Square, St. George's Square, kaupunki, loma, rakennus The Sette Giugno monument On June 7, 1986 the Sette Giugno monument was inaugurated at St. George Square (Palace Square), Valletta. The Maltese Parliament declared the day to be one of the five national days of the island, on March 21, 1989, with the first official remembrance of the day occurring on June 7, 1989. It commemorates events which occurred on that day in 1919 when, following a series of riots by the Maltese population, British troops fired into the crowd, killing four. : 2006, 7.6.1919, Malta, kapina, kaupunki, loma, muistomerkki, patsas Roses are red Wall rose : 2006, Malta, kasvi, kaupunki, kukka, loma
The Grandmaster's Palace The Grandmaster's Palace was one of the first buildings in Valletta, erected in 1571. The original building was the house of Eustachio del Monte, a nephew of Grandmaster Jean de la Vallette, founder of the city. This house was purchased and Girolamo Cassar was commissioned to design a palace. Over the years, the Palace was enlarged and developed by successive Grandmasters to serve as their official residence : 2006, Malta, Suurmestarin palatsi, historia, kaupunki, loma, rakennus The National Library of Malta The National Library of Malta, housed in the last building erected by the Knights (1796). The Library was founded by the Knights in 1650, and soon developed into one of the largest public libraries in the world. It is designed by Stefano Ittar, a Polish-born architect. : 2006, Kansalliskirjasto, Malta, Valletta, historia, kaupunki, kulttuuri, loma, rakennus Auberge de Castille, Leon and Portugal The Auberge de Castille was the official seat of the knights of the Langue of Castille, León and Portugal – one of the most powerful of the Order, its Head being the Grand Chancellor. It became the Office of the Prime Minister on 4th March 1972. The original Auberge was built by the renowned Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar in 1574. It was extensively re-modelled and virtually rebuilt in 1741, the present plan of the imposing structure attributed to Andrea Belli. The building was damaged during the siege of the French forces (1799–1800) as well as during the Second World War (1939–1945). : 2006, Auberge de Castille, Leon and Portugal, Malta, Valletta, historia, kaupunki, loma, rakennus The Church of St Catherine of Italy The Church of St Catherine of Italy, Triq Nofsinhar, Valletta, Malta, was designed by Girolamo Cassar for the Italian Knights. Built in 1576, the façade and porch are from the rebuilding in 1713. The ‘Martyrdom of St Catherine’, the main altarpiece, is by the Italian Baroque artist Mattia Preti (1613-1699). : 2006, Italian Pyhän Katariinan kirkko, Malta, kaupunki, kirkko, loma, uskonto
Republic Street Republic Street, one of the main shopping streets : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Royal Opera House Royal Opera House Built 1862-1866 by Edward Middleton Barry. 1095 seats. Opened 9 Oct 1866 with Vincenzo Bellini's opera "I Puritani". Destroyed by a fire on 25 May 1873. Rebuilt 1873-1877. Re-opened 11 Oct 1877 with Verdi's "Aida". Destroyed by bombs on 7 Apr 1942. Several post-war plans to rebuild the theatre were unsuccesful. : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, oopperatalo, rakennus, raunio Wanna go home Undignified Santa : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Kids on the wall Valletta city wall : 2006, Malta, Valletta, ihminen, kaupunki, lapsi, loma, muuri
Wall view Valletta city wall, a view to Gzira : 2006, Gzira, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma, muuri Wall view A panorama image towards Floriana, Sliema and St. Julian's taken from the city wall. Fort Manoel Fort Manoel stands on Manoel Island in Marsamxett Harbour to the north west of Valletta and commands the entrance to Marsamxett Harbour and the anchorage of Sliema Creek. Fort Manoel is a star fort, with much of its ditches and walls formed from the native rock of Manoel Island. The fort was built by the Knights of Malta between 1723 and 1755, under the patronage of Portuguese Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena. : 2006, Fort Manoel, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma Main bus terminal The Triton Fountain was sculpted by local sculptor Vincent Apap in 1959. It is located at the bus terminus in front of the city's main entrance gate. : 2006, Malta, Valletta, kaupunki, loma