MALTA 2

The layers of history to be seen in Malta are amazing...after the prehistoric ruins we saw Roman ruins and history left by the Arabs, buildings/city by the warrior monks of The Knights of St. John (Maltese Cross), the French, and of course the British:) Valletta (UNESCO site), the capitol, is a fortified city built by the knights(1566). The Knights started out establishing hospitals for Pilgrams and were noblemen from all over Europe. They became warriors during the crusades and were the main force to keep the Turks from conquering Europe. They had been on Rhodes for 200years when they were defeated by the Turks and came to Malta. They withstood the Great Siege of 1565 on Malta and the Turks never advanced farther east. The knights built Valletta on the Great Harbor to be able to defend and also use their ships for battles. The limestone buildings,the balconies, narrow winding streets, lovely palaces built by the knights and now used for government buildings and Churches all made Valletta a very picturesque place... but it is a young city compared to most in Europe:)