Heritage Malta launched the book Valletta – My City, My Story on the occasion of Valletta 2018 as the European Capital of Culture.

The book narrates the early years of Valletta and its inhabitants, brought back to life as the reader wanders through the beautiful streets, buildings, squares and ruins that dot the city. The narration is done by Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette.

This book transports readers back to when the Ottomans left the island and the Maltese and the Knights were not only faced with devastation and lack of resources but also with an urgent need to rebuild the ravaged fortifications in case of another siege in the following months.

De Valette with his sense of duty and humorous narratives guides readers through what actually went through the hearts and minds of those who built the city, recognised by Unesco as a world heritage site.

Valletta – My City, My Story is the first of a series of four books dedicated to the walled cities of Malta. It is also a hybrid between a resource for Year 9 students in line with the national curriculum and a generic work on Valletta.

The book and other Heritage Malta publications can be purchased from the respective museum shops run by the agency and from leading bookstores in Malta and Gozo.