Valletta, Malta's Capital
My introduction to Valletta, picture taken from a ferryboat.
The one constant is walls, fortifications constructed by the
Knights of Malta as their new 16th Century headquarters.
7,000 people live in this unique World Heritage Site.
St John's Co-Cathedral (1578) was where the Knights of
Malta came to worship in Valletta.  On this tiny Catholic
island, the official status of a church mattered.  With the
rival St Paul's in Mdina, the Pope compromised by using the
term "co-cathedral".  Thus, two cathedrals for Malta.
The Knights of Malta provided separate chapels for their
various nationalities in the church.  Here are ornate symbols
from the Chapel of Germany.  The Cathedral's floor consists
of tombs where the Knights and other nobles were laid to rest.
 
Valletta's tip is secured by the massive walls of Fort St Elmo.  
The Knights of Malta often named their forts after saints.
If you have a high speed internet connection, watch the
Intrepid Berkeley Explorer's free video of this trip to Sicily
and Malta, "Don Corleone's Island", by clicking on
AdventurePics.com
Full view of the cathedral's rich interior.  Individual chapels
for each order of Knights can be seen left and right of the
main alter.