The biplane Faith
One of the three that defended the island.
John Haslam — CC BY 2.0 · U.S. Secretary of Defense — CC BY 2.0 · U.S. Secretary of Defense — CC BY 2.0 · Hnapel — CC BY-SA 4.0
The fort that held a month and changed history: St Elmo stands at the tip of the Valletta peninsula between the two harbours, and in the siege of 1565 its small garrison held the Ottoman army for thirty-one days and died almost to the last man — but the delay exhausted the attackers and saved Malta, and Valletta was built around the fort after the victory. Today it holds the National War Museum: from Bronze Age arrows and knights' armour to the fort's cannon, its heart the Second World War when Malta became the most bombed place on earth (three thousand raids in two years) — with the George Cross awarded by Britain's king to the entire Maltese people in 1942, still on the national flag, and the famous Faith, one of the biplanes that defended the island. The bastions and courtyards are walked with views over both harbours, and the costumed In Guardia historical display runs on set days.
One of the three that defended the island.
Views over both harbours at once.
Triq il-Mediterran, Valletta
Palazzo de La SalleA palace from the era of the Knights of St John on Republic Street, Valletta's m4 minutes walk4.6
Casa Rocca PiccolaA Maltese noble house still lived in: Casa Rocca Piccola was built in 1580 for a5 minutes walk4.7
Valletta Design ClusterA centre for design and craft in the old municipal abattoir building in the lowe5 minutes walk4.6
The Grandmaster's PalaceMalta's seat of government without a break since 1571: the Knights built it for 7 minutes walk4.4
Teatru ManoelAmong Europe's oldest working theatres: Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena b7 minutes walk4.7Its position between Sicily and North Africa made it a British base cutting Axis supply lines to the desert; Germany and Italy tried for two years to break it by bombing and starvation.