Did you know that the knights of St. John built between the 16th and the 18th centuries, an estimated 10.000 meters of impressive defensive walls around the two main harbours of Malta.
In the year 1530 the knights of St. John arrived in Malta. To secure their new home against their Ottoman enemy, the knights started to fortify the main Harbours of Malta. The Ottoman empire, in the year 1565, attacked the knights in Malta with an estimated force of 40.000 soldiers.The knights of St. John succeeded in repelling the Ottomans. After this Great Siege, the efforts of the knights to fortify the Harbours were increased drastically. Under the leadership of their French Grandmaster Jean de Valette, the Knights started the building of the capital and named it after their hero "Valletta". The new fortified city dominating the two main harbours,Grand Harbour of Valletta and the Marsamxetto harbour, was for a long time considered to be unconquerable. The Knights built an estimated 10 km of massive and truly impressive defensive walls around the two main harbours of Malta.
