It was just over 450 years ago that the first stone was laid on the rocky, barren peninsula that is now Valletta.

Its majestic fortifications and baroque churches, elegant architecture and the Grand Harbour have made the city among the most remarkable capitals worldwide.

And, as befits a city which is today being unveiled as a European Capital of Culture, Miranda Publishers has added The City of Valletta to its 360º series.

Publishers Eddie and Tony Aquilina have once again left no stone unturned. The book, dedicated to former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi,“whose vision and initiatives gave us Valletta 2018”, has been divided into 11 sections.

Victoria GateVictoria Gate

Photographer Enrico Formica has captured Valletta as seen from above and below ground. The book comes with a commemorative sheet of postage stamps celebrating the city and the special stamp issued to mark Valletta’s 450th anniversary.

The book opens with the remarkable Church of Our Lady of Victories, the first building to be erected after Grand Master de Valette laid the foundation stone of the city on March 28, 1566. It then moves on to the fortifications, the Palace of the Grand Master and the magnificent splendour within the Co-Cathedral of St John.

There are the city’s imperious museums and auberges, the narrow, cobbled streets and some of the capital’s 29 churches and chapels in all their glory.

Even the convents reveal the life behind their plain limestone facades. And underground Valletta, with its cavernous spaces carved into the limestone beneath the built city, gets its exposure, too.

This presentation-size book by Miranda Publishers is only available directly from the publishers.

www.mirandapublishers.com

The Jerosolimitan Nuns of the Sovereign Military Order of St John of Jerusalem live in the Monastery of St Ursula founded by Grand Master Hughes de Loubenx Verdalle at the end of the 16th century.The Jerosolimitan Nuns of the Sovereign Military Order of St John of Jerusalem live in the Monastery of St Ursula founded by Grand Master Hughes de Loubenx Verdalle at the end of the 16th century.

Shallow steps at the end of Old Theatre Street lead down to the bastion walls overlooking Marsamxett Harbour.Shallow steps at the end of Old Theatre Street lead down to the bastion walls overlooking Marsamxett Harbour.

The Palace’s great staircase is an elliptical sweep, as the wide steps seem to rise effortlessly to the piano nobile and state rooms.The Palace’s great staircase is an elliptical sweep, as the wide steps seem to rise effortlessly to the piano nobile and state rooms.

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