Valletta

Valletta
Il-Belt Valletta (Maltese)
Flag of Valletta
Coat of arms of Valletta
Nickname: 
Il-Belt
Motto: 
City Built By Gentlemen For Gentlemen
Valletta is located in Malta
Valletta
Valletta
Map of the Maltese Archipelago with Valletta
Valletta is located in European Union
Valletta
Valletta
Valletta (European Union)
Valletta is located in Mediterranean
Valletta
Valletta
Valletta (Mediterranean)
Coordinates: 35°53′54″N 14°30′45″E / 35.89833°N 14.51250°E / 35.89833; 14.51250[1]
CountryMalta
RegionPort Region
DistrictSouthern Harbour District
Capital city18 March 1571
Founded byJean de Parisot Valette
BordersFloriana
Government
 • MayorOlaf McKay (PL)
Area
 • Capital city and local council0.61 km2 (0.24 sq mi)
 • Urban
256 km2 (99 sq mi)
Elevation
56 m (184 ft)
Population
 (Jan. 2019)
 • Capital city and local council5,157
 • Density8,500/km2 (22,000/sq mi)
 • Urban
480,134[2]
Demonym(s)Belti (m), Beltija (f), Beltin (pl)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
VLT
Dialing code356
ISO 3166 codeMT-60
Patron saintsSt. Dominic
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
St. Paul
St. Augustine
Day of festa3 August
10 February
WebsiteOfficial website
Official nameCity of Valletta
CriteriaCultural: i, vi
Reference131
Inscription1980 (4th Session)
Area55.5 ha

Valletta (/vəˈlɛtə/, Maltese: il-Belt Valletta, Maltese pronunciation: [vɐlˈlɛt.tɐ]) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157.[3] As Malta’s capital city, it is a commercial centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the southernmost capital of Europe,[4][note 1] and at just 0.61 square kilometres (0.24 sq mi), it is the European Union's smallest capital city.[5][6]

Valletta's 16th-century buildings were constructed by the Knights Hospitaller. The city was named after the Frenchman Jean Parisot de Valette, who succeeded in defending the island against an Ottoman invasion during the Great Siege of Malta. The city is Baroque in character, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture, though the Second World War left major scars on the city, particularly the destruction of the Royal Opera House. The city was officially recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980.[7] The city has 320 monuments, all within an area of 0.55 square kilometres (0.21 sq mi), making it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world.[7][8] Sometimes called an "open-air museum",[9] Valletta was chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2018. Valletta was also listed as the sunniest city in Europe in 2016.[10][11]

The city is noted for its fortifications, consisting of bastions, curtains and cavaliers, along with the beauty of its Baroque palaces, gardens and churches.

  1. ^ Badger, George Percy (1869). Historical Guide to Malta and Gozo. Calleja. pp. 152. Castellania building.
  2. ^ "Population on 1 January by age groups and sex – functional urban areas". Eurostat. 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Estimated Population by Locality 31st March, 2014". Government of Malta. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  4. ^ Valletta, Malta – Intercultural CityCouncil of Europe
  5. ^ "The 10 Smallest Countries in Europe". World Atlas. 31 May 2018.
  6. ^ "History of Valletta – Story About Valletta – Interesting Facts". www.visitmalta.com. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
  7. ^ a b "City of Valletta". UNESCO World Heritage List. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  8. ^ "Valletta travel". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  9. ^ Valletta (Malta) – The Complete Overview of Malta's Capital City – maltauncovered.com
  10. ^ Valletta is crowned the sunniest city in Europe Archived 5 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine – bay.com.mt, 2016
  11. ^ Sunniest Cities in Europe – currentresults.com, 2016


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).