Following the raising of the Great Seige Grand Master Jean La
Valette decided to erect a new city on Mount Sceberras. The plans
for the new city were drawn by the Italian architect Francesco
Laparelli from Cortona, while funds for the erection of the new city
were provided by Pope St Pius V, and the Kings of Spain, France and
Portugal. The first stone of the new city which was named Valletta,
in honour of the Grand Master, was laid on 28th March 1566.
In the following two centuries, the new cities of Valletta was
provided with the necessary amenities such as an adequate water
supply, a hospital, law courts, theatre, biblioteca and a customs
house.
In the century following the Great Seige (1565 - 1665) the Order
continued to strengthen the island's defences. The Floriana lines
outside Valletta were constructed on the designs of architect Pietro
Floriani, while the Santa Margerita lines which enclosed the town of
Cospicua, on the southern side of Grand Harbour, were constructed on
the designs of Firenzuola. In 1960 during the Magistracy of Grand
Master Nicholas Cotoner (1663 - 1680) work was taken in hand on the
Cottonera lines, a gradoise project on the designs of engineer
Valperga, which encircled the three towns on the southern side of
the harbour. In the XVIII century Forts Manoel and Tigne were
erected. The coastal fortifications were strengthened with the
construction of a number of forts and towers including thirteen
coastal towers which were erected by Grand Master de Redin (1657 -
1660). The fortifications of Gozo were also strengthened.
During the Order's rule, the population of the Maltese Islands
increased considerably from approximately 25,000 in 1530 to 91,273.
A large number of churches were erected in the towns and villages on
the designs of Maltese architects such as Gerolamo Cassar and his
son Vittorio, Tommaso Dingli and Lorenzo Gafa'. These churches were
embellished with works of art, the product of foreign and Maltese
artists, such as Mattia Preti, Stefano and Alessio Erardi and
Frencesco Zahra.
In 1592 the Jesuit opened a Collage in Valletta and in 1769 Grand
Master Emmanuel Pinto established in University. A Diocesan Seminary
was also established while several colleges were set up by various
Religious Orders. Serious studies in the Maltese Language, hitherto
a spoken language only, were undertaken by two scholars, the Gozitan
Canon Agius Sultana (1712 - 1770) known as De Soldanins and Mikiel
Anton Vassalli (1764 - 1829).
