The capital city was built by Jean de La Valette, (a French grand master) after the epic siege of 1565.
The city is surrounded by high fortifications and overlooks the principal harbour of the island known as the Grand Harbour on one side and Marsamxett Harbour on the other. Within the bastions of Valletta is housed most of Malta's rich heritage of history, art, archaeology, architecture, and culture. It has been described by many travellers but two of the most well known references are those of:
*
 " Sir Walter Scott … "Splendid town quite like a dream, rising perpendicular from the water's edge to 80
   meters in height",
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 " Benjamin Disraeli …. "A city of palaces, built by gentlemen for gentlemen".
   
The Bastions.  
   
These are prominent high walls that surround the city as a means of defence. The different sections of the bastions are named after saints St Michael's Bastion, St Salvatore Bastion, St Sebastian Bastion, St Barbara Bastion, and so on. These high fortifications house various secret passages, some still in use. These high walls are further strengthened with other fortifications just outside Valletta at Floriana and Pieta.
Bastions
    
   
The Gardens.  
   
The city being small in size, it was not possible for the inhabitants, to have houses with gardens. These houses and Auberges were only permitted extra space to be utilised as internal yards. Despite this we still find two garden areas in the city, the upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens, overlooking the Grand Harbour and Hastings Garden, overlooking Marxamxett Harbour. These gardens offer magnificent and extensive view of the underlying harbours and are a must for all tourists visiting the city. They also have various monuments and commemorative plaques.

   
The Auberges.  
   
When the Knights moved to Valletta from Vittoriosa (one of the three cities on the other side of the Grand Harbour) they built seven magnificent houses known as auberges each to house the different languages of the Order. These were built between 1571 and 1590 mostly to plans made by one of the best known Maltese architects Gerolamo Cassar. Four of these auberges are still in use today but some were destroyed during the war
 
Castle Et Leone
   
1. Auberge D'Allamagne was demolished to make room for the Anglican Cathedral of St Paul.
2. Auberge D'Dauvergne was demolished during the war and it has now been replaced by the Law Courts.
3. Auberge De France was also demolished during the war and it has now been replaced by the Worker's Memorial Building.
4. Castille et Leon, by far the most magnificent of the seven, today houses the Office of the Prime Minister.
5. Auberge D'Aragon, just opposite the formed Auberge D'Allemagne today houses the Minister of Finance.
6. Auberge D'Italie today houses the Malta Tourism Authority, having housed the Law Courts in fromer times.
7. Auberge D'Provence today houses the National Museums of Archaeology.
   
The Churches.  
   
The city has a number of important churches most of which have been recently restored. These include St Paul's Shipwrecked Church, Carmelite Church, Our Lady of Victories Church, St Francis Church, St Barbara Church, and many others.

The city also houses one of the most important monuments of the island, St John's Co-Cathedral.
   
Recommended further reading:
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Valletta