Valletta is the European capital containing the Palace of the Grand Master, built for the leaders of the Order of St John.
The palace occupies a prominent position in Valletta, Malta’s planned sixteenth-century capital. Construction began soon after the city’s foundation in 1566, following the Knights of St John’s defense of Malta during the Great Siege of 1565. The building became the official residence of the order’s grand masters and the administrative center of their government.
Its interiors include state rooms, portraits, armor, and ceremonial furnishings. The palace later served as the seat of Malta’s colonial administration and became the official residence of the president. Parts of the complex have also housed Malta’s parliament.
The palace is part of Valletta’s historic urban fabric, which UNESCO listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980. It is distinct from the former capital Mdina, the fortified inland city often called the Silent City.