Valletta was founded by the Order of St. John in 1566 after the Great Siege of Malta.
The city was established on the Sciberras Peninsula, a strategic site between the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour. Construction began soon after the Knights and Maltese defenders repelled an Ottoman invasion in 1565.
The settlement was named after Jean Parisot de Valette, the Grand Master who led the defence. Its plan was unusually systematic for the period, using a grid of streets and extensive fortifications. Valletta later became the administrative centre of Malta and replaced Mdina as the island’s capital in the 16th century.
The city’s compact historic core contains landmarks including St. John’s Co-Cathedral and the Grandmaster’s Palace. Valletta became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 and served as a European Capital of Culture in 2018.