MALTA - VALLETA

MALTA

Capital: Valletta

Geographical size: 316 km²

Population: 425 384 (2014)

Official EU language(s): Maltese, English

Political system: parliamentary republic

EU member country since: 1 May 2004

Seats in the European Parliament: 6

Currency: Euro. 

VALLETA

Valleta is the capital city of Malta. It is colloquially known as il-Belt. Geographically, it is located in  in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta. The historical city has a population of 6,444.

PLACES TO VISIT

• Grandmaster's palace: The Grandmaster's Palace  is a palace in Valletta. It was built in the 16th century as the palace of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, who ruled Malta. Today is the Office of the President of Malta, and  a museum 
• St John's Co-Cathedral: St John's Co-Cathedral is Malta's most impressive church. It was designed by the architect Gerolamo Cassar and built between 1573 and 1578. The interior was remodelled in the 17th century in exuberant Maltese baroque style. In this church ther is a  painting of John the Baptist by Caravaggio.
• Parliament House: This building was designed by Renzo Piano and opened on 4 May 2015. It cost more than €90 million to build.  From 1921 to 1976, the meeting place of the Parliament of Malta was the the Grandmaster's Palace.

MUSEUMS

• The National Museum of Fine Arts:The National Museum of Fine Arts is located  in Valleta, in a palace called Casa Miasi. It houses a collection of works by Maltese and foreign artists which represents the most important European artistic styles. 

• The National Museum of Archaeology: The National Museum of Archaeology is a Maltese museum of prehistoric artifacts, located in Valletta. In the museum there are prehistoric artefacts from the Maltese islands, from the Għar Dalam phase (5200 BC) up to the Tarxien phase (2500 BC). In the Grand Salon, on the second floor, there are temporary exhibitions.

FOOD AND TRADITIONAL DISHES

• Timpana: is made by mixing macaroni with a tomato sauce made of a small amount of minced beef  bound with a mix of raw egg and grated cheese. 
• Kapunata: it consist of cooked vegetable salad made from chopped fried eggplant and celery seasoned with sweetened vinegar.