Towards the middle of the 17th century a military engineer sent from Italy by the Pope advised the Grand Master that a new set of fortifications on the plateau outside Valletta would render the city impregnable. What became known as the Floriana Lines, in engineer Pietro Paolo Floriani's honour, were then constructed.

In time the town of Floriana developed in this space and in 1927 an elevated road built on massive arches was constructed to create an entrance into Valletta. The road emerges in Castille Square, facing Auberge de Castille, once the headquarters of the Castilian and Portuguese knights but now the Office of the Prime Minister.

To the left is the Central Bank of Malta and St James Cavalier that was the knight's defensive position but is now the Centre of Creativity.

To the right of the auberge is the Malta Stock Exchange in a church-like building and the vantage point of Upper Barrakka Gardens. Below lies the great sweep of the Grand Harbour with Fort St Angelo and the Three Cities of Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea in the background.

This series is appearing every Saturday in collaboration with Miranda Publishers.

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