Malta Valletta, which is the capital of Malta, has the charm of an Italian city with its many Baroque palaces set on narrow steep streets that form a grid pattern. The city was carefully planned by its founder, Grand Master Fra Jean de la Vallette and the Knights of the Order of St John. The city was 'built by gentlemen for gentlemen' with the first stone being ceremonially laid in 1566 after Ottoman forces withdrew their siege of the Maltese Islands and the Knights of St John took over. The purpose of the city, built in a short span of 15 years on a plateau between two harbors on Malta's
northeast coast, was primarily to fortify the island and secondly to provide palaces, Auberges (lodgings) for the eight Knight's groupings (Langues), churches for worship and gardens for recreation. The remnants of the Knight's occupation today characterize Valletta in the form of some splendid Baroque buildings and fortifications, but the majestic architecture manages not to overwhelm the island's carefree personality.
Gozo Malta's little sister island of Gozo invites visitors to put on their walking shoes. Life here moves at a leisurely pace, its rhythms dictated by the seasons, with a rugged landscape and beautiful coastline just crying out for exploration. Inland the small island is covered with flowering herbs and lush crops, and in summer it is fragrant with oleander, bougainvillea and geranium. The island is known for having some of the Mediterranean's best snorkeling and scuba diving sites, but it is also a place of myth and legend, believed to be the Calypso isle of Homer's Odyssey. The countryside is dotted with old stone farmhouses and baroque churches, as well as some prehistoric temples and other historic sites of importance. The commercial center of the island, Victoria, has a sleepy 17th-century feel. The town has many buildings of historical and cultural interest, mostly sited inside the Citadel, the ancient fortified part of the town. Gozo can be reached from Malta's Grand Harbour by ferry in about 20 minutes.
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