Historic Building · UNESCO World Heritage · Knights of St John
City of Valletta (World Heritage Site)
Valletta · Founded 1566
Last verified: 1 October 2026
The fortified capital built by the Knights of St John after the Great Siege, inscribed as a whole on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980 for its concentration of 16th–18th-century buildings.
- Official website
- whc.unesco.org/en/list/131
In the timeline
28 March 1566
Valletta founded
Grand Master Jean de Valette lays the foundation stone of a new fortified capital on the Sceberras peninsula.
2018
Valletta, European Capital of Culture
Valletta holds the European Capital of Culture title, with major restoration of the city's monuments.
Located in Valletta
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Malta. Opening hours and admission last verified 01 Oct 2026; they change seasonally and on public holidays.
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