The Port of Valletta (called Il-Belt for “The City) is the capital of Malta. Located on the northeast coast of the island, the city had a population of about 6300 in 2005. Built on a promontory of Mount Sceberras, it is in the middle of a bay, having two harbors.
Port History
The first inhabitants on the islands most likely came in prehistoric days from Sicily on rafts or simple canoes. In the Bronze Age, inhabitants created linens and fine cloths that early traders crossed the sea to get, bringing with them pottery from the Aegean. Phoenicians who eventually settled colonies there, and the islands were an important place to stop during their long east-west sea voyages.
When Carthage became the major naval power in the Mediterranean, the islands were important to north-south trade. Romans conquered Malta during the Punic Wars, and the islands enjoyed prosperity from maritime trade and local textiles. During the Byzantine period, it was a stop-over for their navy and trade. Arabs pushed the Byzantines aside and occupied the island for a time. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Port of Valletta was important to Mediterranean trade routes. Archeological finds both underwater and from the land attest to the islands’ frequent use.
The Port of Valletta was named for Jean Parisot de la Valetta, head of the Hospitalers (or Knights of St. John of Jerusalem), who stopped advancing Ottomans in the 1565 Great Siege of Malta. The Order ruled for over two centuries until Napoleon came in 1798. When the Maltese revolted, the British seized it in 1800, and the Port of Valletta became a British military and naval base. Subject to heavy bombing in World War II, the Italian fleet surrendered to the Allies in 1943 in the Port of Valletta.
Thanks to the Hospitalers, the Port of Valletta is home to many medieval buildings that survive today. St. John’s Co-Cathedral was a church for the Hospitaler order. Built between 1573 and 1578, it was designed by Maltese architect Gerolamo Cassar. Cassar also designed several buildings that are now government offices: the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Aragon Auberge, the Provence Auberge, and the Castile and Leon Auberge. (Auberges were lodges built for different nationalities of the Hospitalers.) In 1980, UNESCO designated the Port of Valletta a World Heritage Site. The Port of Valletta does not have much industry, but it is an important trade and tourism center.
Port Commerce
The Malta Maritime Authority manages this all-weather port. Established in 1991 and vested with regulatory powers, it markets Malta as a world-class maritime center, manages financial operations, facilitates foreign trade, provides services to port operations and yachting centers, and assures port practices are consistent with the European Union.
The multi-purpose port, with an average draft of 12 meters, has 3.5 kilometers of quays that can handle cargo of all kinds. Its deep-water quay, 488 meters long, handles conventional cargo and roll-on/roll-off cargo. The Fuel Wharf has cement silos and facilities for discharging edible oils. The Port of Valletta’s Laboratory Wharf, 380 meters long, offers berths for container and roll-on/roll-off vessels and a new 10,000 square meter car compound.
An extension of the Laboratory Wharf, the Port of Valletta’s Magazine Wharf has silo capacity of 86 thousand tons used mainly for cereals, and it can accommodate Panamax vessels. The Flagstone Wharf is a dedicated petroleum terminal with petroleum storage facilities. Roll-on/roll-off cargo imports are received at the Wine Verandah, and breakbulk imports are received at the Coal Wharf. The Pinto Wharf is dedicated to cruise and ferry vessels, and it can handle any size cruise vessel.
Cruising and Travel
The temperate Maltese Islands have long been a major tourist destination. The 400-year-old Port of Valletta is a World Heritage City that offers many attractions. Among the Port of Valletta’s “must sees” is St. John’s Co-Cathedral with the most “beautiful floor in the world” where multi-colored marble covers the knights’ graves. Now a government building, the Palace of the Grand Masters is not always accessible, but it contains the armory of the Hospitaler Knights.
The Malta Experience is a great place to learn about the islands’ history and culture. The Upper Barakka Gardens offer breathtaking views of the harbor. Fort St. Elmo was the site of the knights’ legendary battle with the Turks in 1565. The 17th-Century Maneol Theatre is one of the oldest theaters in Europe that still operates. Though not always accessible, the National Library houses the knights’ archives from the 11th to 18th Centuries, and the knights built the Sacra Infermeria hospital in the 16th Century. Travelers who want to visit the Port of Valletta by sea can search for a cruise at the Valletta Waterfront web site, where you can also find information on everything the island has to offer to visitors.
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