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The small town of
Floriana is situated a stone’s throw away from the capital city,
Valletta. The origins of Floriana date back to 1634 when Grand
Master De Paule, sensing another attack by the Ottoman Turks,
brought over an Italian engineer, Pietro Paolo Floriani (born in the
city of Macerata, Italy), to examine the state of the Islands’
fortifications. His recommendations were to effect that in the
stretch of plain just outside Valletta other fortifications were
necessary to prevent a situation whereby the enemy could see
directly inside the capital city. Notwithstanding some initial
opposition, works on the fortifications were eventually taken in
hand and these were completed in 1721 ending at what is today Portes
des Bombes, having an extension of over 4 km. With the accession of
Fra Anton Manuel de Vilhena to the post of Grand Master in 1722,
this small town was given the name of Borgo Vilhena. However,
the residents still kept calling their own town Floriana and so it
has remained till today. |
