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74-527: The theatre is located on Old Theatre Street (Maltese: Triq it-Teatru l-Antik ) in Valletta . It considers itself as the country's national theatre and the home of Malta Philharmonic Orchestra ( Orkestra Filarmonika Nazzjonali ). Originally called the Teatro Pubblico , its name was changed to Teatro Reale ('Theatre Royal') in 1812, and renamed Teatru Manoel in 1866. The first play to be performed

148-551: A café waiter and made a fortune at La Scala , in Milan, where he was also in charge of the gambling operation and introduced roulette . Duchess Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg was a harpsichordist who also presided over seventeenth-century North German court music as an impresario. The traditional term is still used in the entertainment industry to refer to a producer of concerts , tours and other events in music, opera, theatre , and even rodeo . Important modern impresarios in

222-667: A grand 18th century palace that was the former home of the Testaferrata Bonnici family; however on 9 January 2007, the Constitutional Court of Malta revoked the 1958 order of possession and use in respect of this property and ordered that the property be returned to its original owner. This annex currently houses the theatre's bar and restaurant. The theatre is being restored by the Teatru Manoel Restoration Committee. Previous restoration attempts done in

296-685: A media company. This company publishes the two market-leading newspapers, Times of Malta and The Sunday Times of Malta . The Valletta Campus of the University of Malta is situated in the Old University Building. It serves as an extension of the Msida Campus, especially offering international masters programmes. A church school , "St. Albert the Great", is also situated in Valletta. The Headmaster

370-747: A million visitors since opening. The Valletta International Baroque Festival is held every year in January. Jazz music in Malta was introduced in the Strait Street area, frequented by Allied sailors during both World Wars . Malta's Jazz Festival took place here. Strait Street is also known as The Gut . This area is undergoing a programme of regeneration. The city's dual band clubs are the " King's Own Band Club " ( Maltese : L-Għaqda Mużikali King's Own ) and "La Valette National Philharmonic Society" ( Maltese : Is-Soċjetà Filarmonika Nazzjonali La Valette ). Valletta

444-448: A new artistic director has been chosen. The board is chaired by Dr. Michael Grech. Many productions are regularly presented, both by local talent and international stars, and the theatre has been a source for the cultural appreciation of the arts in Malta. Since 1960, it has had an official Management Committee and is no longer rented out for whole seasons to impresarios as in the past. The theatre's musical programmes retain some variety, but

518-480: A public art installation, Kif Jgħid il-Malti (Maltese Sayings ), which featured a number of Maltese language proverb figured in gypsum, in order to engage linguistic heritage. Saint James Cavalier , originally a raised gun platform, was converted into a Centre of Creativity in the year 2000 as part of Malta's Millennium Project. It now houses a small theatre, a cinema, music rooms and art galleries. Various exhibitions are regularly held there. It has welcomed over

592-566: A rectangular grid plan , and without any collacchio (an area restricted for important buildings). The streets were designed to be wide and straight, beginning centrally from the City Gate and ending at Fort Saint Elmo (which was rebuilt) overlooking the Mediterranean; certain bastions were built 47 metres (154 ft) high. His assistant was the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar , who later oversaw

666-417: A satirical and anti-clerical play " Il bacchettiere falso " by Girolamo Gigli was performed. On 18 January 1769 the play "Il trionfo di Minerva", by Lentisco Adrasteo was presented on the occasion of Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca 's birthday. A similar honour was also given to Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim , on his elevation as Grand Master. On this occasion, Hompesch appeared on the balcony thanking

740-541: A share of just under 50 percent of Malta. As in Malta as a whole, tourism is an important economic sector. The most important tourist zone is the area surrounding the Grand Harbour. For the cruise industry, after several years of planning, work began in 2002 to build the Valletta Waterfront Project, a cruise terminal, in the Grand Harbour. There is also a publishing house in Valletta, Allied Newspapers Ltd.,

814-461: A town began to form between the walls of Valletta and the Floriana Lines, and this evolved from a suburb of Valletta to Floriana , a town in its own right. In 1634, a gunpowder factory explosion killed 22 people in Valletta. In 1749, Muslim slaves plotted to kill Grandmaster Pinto and take over Valletta, but the revolt was suppressed before it even started due to their plans leaking out to

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888-409: Is Alternattiva Demokratika politician Mario Mallia. Valletta was designated European Capital of Culture for 2018. The year was inaugurated with an event called Erba' Pjazez (Four Squares), with shows focused in 4 plazas in the city – Triton Square , St. George's Square , St. John's Square , and Castille Square – along with other shows in other points. This was followed by the unveiling of

962-419: Is a person who organizes and often finances concerts , plays , or operas , performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer . The term originated in the social and economic world of Italian opera , in which from the mid-18th century to the 1830s, the impresario was the key figure in the organization of a lyric season. The owners of the theatre, usually amateurs from

1036-492: Is noted for its fortifications , consisting of bastions , curtains and cavaliers , along with the beauty of its Baroque palaces, gardens and churches. The peninsula was previously called Xagħret Mewwija (Mu' awiya – Meuia; named during the Arab period ) or Ħal Newwija. Mewwija refers to a sheltered place. Some authors state that the extreme end of the peninsula was known as Xebb ir-Ras (Sheb point), of which name origins from

1110-482: Is now Old Theatre Street for the sum of 2,186 scudi . It has a plain façade , in keeping with Valletta's Mannerist style, and has three floors with a mezzanine -level above the ground floor. The façade incorporates a doorway surmounted by a stone balustraded open balcony, itself supported by three heavy scroll corbels. The interior is decorated in Rococo style. The theatre was possibly designed by Romano Carapecchia , and

1184-714: Is the island's principal cultural center and has a unique collection of churches, palaces and museums and act as one of the city's main visitor attractions. When Benjamin Disraeli , future British Prime Minister, visited the city in 1830, he described it as "a city of palaces built by gentlemen for gentlemen," and remarked that "Valletta equals in its noble architecture, if it does not excel, any capital in Europe ," and in other letters called it "comparable to Venice and Cádiz " and "full of palaces worthy of Palladio ." Buildings of historic importance include St John's Co-Cathedral , formerly

1258-566: Is the scene of the Maltese Carnival , held in February each year, leading up to Lent . There were no carnival trucks in 2020 or 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic , but trucks returned in 2022. In 1823 the Valletta carnival was the scene of a human crush tragedy in which at least 110 boys perished. Valletta is twinned with: Malta International Airport is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from

1332-550: The Auberge d'Italie . Women were prohibited from attending these events after incidents during the Carnival festivities of 1639. In 1731, António Manoel de Vilhena commissioned and personally funded the construction of the building to serve as a public theatre " for the honest recreation of the people. " The Grand Master bought two houses from the Priory of Navarre , with a frontage on what

1406-633: The Comédie-Française and the Staatsballett Berlin (Berlin State Opera Ballet). Coordinates : 35°54′1″N 14°30′45″E  /  35.90028°N 14.51250°E  / 35.90028; 14.51250 Valletta Valletta ( / v ə ˈ l ɛ t ə / və- LET -ə ; Maltese : il-Belt Valletta , pronounced [vɐlˈlɛttɐ] ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 council areas . Located between

1480-532: The Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital city, it is a commercial centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the southernmost capital of Europe , and at just 0.61 square kilometres (0.24 sq mi), it is the European Union 's smallest capital city. Valletta's 16th-century buildings were constructed by

1554-521: The Grand Harbour . The Grand Harbour is Malta's major port, with unloading quays at nearby Marsa . A cruise-liner terminal is located along the old seawall of the Valletta Waterfront that Portuguese Grandmaster Manuel Pinto da Fonseca built. Valletta features a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen Csa ) with very mild, wet winters and warm to hot, slightly long, dry summers, with an average annual temperature above 23 °C (73 °F) during

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1628-724: The Knights Hospitaller . The city was named after the Frenchman Jean Parisot de Valette , who succeeded in defending the island against an Ottoman invasion during the Great Siege of Malta . The city is Baroque in character, with elements of Mannerist , Neo-Classical and Modern architecture , though the Second World War left major scars on the city, particularly the destruction of the Royal Opera House . The city

1702-507: The Order's Langues , and these were complete by the 1580s. An eighth Auberge, Auberge de Bavière , was later added in the 18th century. In Antoine de Paule 's reign, it was decided to build more fortifications to protect Valletta, and these were named the Floriana Lines after the architect who designed them, Pietro Paolo Floriani of Macerata . During António Manoel de Vilhena 's reign,

1776-757: The Parliament House near the city's entrance since 2015: it was previously housed at the Grandmaster's Palace in the city centre. The latter palace still houses the Office of the President of Malta , while the Auberge de Castille houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta . The courthouse and many government departments are also located in Valletta. The Valletta peninsula has two natural harbours, Marsamxett and

1850-723: The Valletta Summit on Migration in which European and African leaders discussed the European migrant crisis . After that, on 27 November 2015, the city also hosted part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2015 . Valletta was the European Capital of Culture in 2018. The Valletta Local Council was established by the Local Councils Act of 1993, along with the other local councils of Malta . The first election

1924-749: The inquisitor and many knights, and the model was so admired that the Commissioners of the Foundation of the Theatre decided to add a further two louis, as a bonus to Marini's invoice of 49 scudi. Nicolas Isouard 's first known opera, Casaciello perseguitato da un mago, was performed here in 1792, and Isouard became director of this theatre in 1798, after the French captured Malta , and continued to premiere other operas there. Several of Isouard's own works, including Avviso ai Maritati and Artaserse , were performed at

1998-413: The 1970s were heavily criticised, with the removal of a balcony and the reinforcement of old stone with new masonry. The first phase of the new restoration took place in 2003, and included the restoration of the paintings on the frontispiece of the auditorium boxes. In 2004, the auditorium was restored by a team of Sante Guido Restauro e Conservazione di Opere d'Arte, who unearthed paintings that will allow

2072-612: The Conventual Church of the Knights of Malta . It has the only signed work and largest painting by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio . The Auberge de Castille et Leon , formerly the official seat of the Knights of Malta of the Langue of Castille, Léon and Portugal, is now the office of the Prime Minister of Malta . The Grandmaster's Palace , built between 1571 and 1574 and formerly the seat of

2146-717: The Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, used to house the Maltese Parliament, now situated in a purpose-built structure at the entrance to the city, and now houses the offices of the President of Malta . Admiralty House is a Baroque palace dating to the late 1570s. It was the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet during the British era from the 1820s onwards. From 1974 until 2016, it

2220-582: The Knights to the island. The city took his name and was called La Valletta . The Grand Master asked the European kings and princes for help, receiving a lot of assistance due to the increased fame of the Order after their victory in the Great Siege. Pope Pius V sent his military architect, Francesco Laparelli , to design the new city, while Philip II of Spain sent substantial monetary aid. The foundation stone of

2294-480: The Manoel during this time. French rule over Malta was short-lived and within two years the islands passed into the hands of Great Britain . An English gentleman who accompanied Abercrombie's expedition to Egypt in 1801, wrote that: "La Valette possesses an opera, small indeed, but neat, though much out of repair. Italy and Sicily supply it with very tolerable vocal performers, and it is a very agreeable entertainment for

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2368-509: The Order. Later on in his reign, Pinto embellished the city with Baroque architecture , and many important buildings such as Auberge de Castille were remodeled or completely rebuilt in the new architectural style. In 1775, during the reign of Ximenes , an unsuccessful revolt known as the Rising of the Priests occurred in which Fort Saint Elmo and Saint James Cavalier were captured by rebels, but

2442-565: The Teatro Reale was rented out to professional impresarios, who hosted nine-month opera seasons. It was visited by many foreign dignitaries, including Sir Walter Scott , and Queen Adelaide, the Queen Dowager , widow of William IV of the United Kingdom, who attended performances of Elisir d'Amore and Gemma di Vergy at the theatre, during her convalescence in Malta. Lucia di Lammermoor

2516-577: The Xeberras phrase is of Punic origin and means 'the headland' and 'the middle peninsula' as it actually is. The building of a city on the Sciberras Peninsula had been proposed by the Order of Saint John as early as 1524. Back then, the only building on the peninsula was a small watchtower dedicated to Erasmus of Formia (Saint Elmo), which had been built in 1488. In 1552, the Aragonite watchtower

2590-522: The auditorium. Following the destruction of the Royal Opera House by Axis bombardment on 7 April 1942, Teatru Manoel was expropriated by the Government of Malta in 1956, and was quickly restored to its former glory. It reopened in December 1960 with a performance of Coppélia by Ballet Rambert . In subsequent years the theatre foyer was enlarged by means of the annexation of the adjacent Palazzo Bonici,

2664-399: The ceiling by one storey, and added eight more boxes, bringing the total to 67. Whitmore also transformed the auditorium to the oval shape that it has today. Further alterations were made in 1844, when the Manoel's set designer, Ercolani, repainted the panels on the wooden boxes and had them gilded. Another stratum of silver leaf was added to the panels and ceiling in 1906. Throughout this time,

2738-405: The city in the town of Luqa . Malta's public transport system , which uses buses, operates mostly on routes to or from Valletta, with their central terminus just outside the city gate . Traffic within the city itself is restricted, with some principal roads being completely pedestrian areas. In 2006, a park and ride system was implemented in order to increase the availability of parking spaces in

2812-469: The city was laid by Grand Master de Valette on 28 March 1566. He placed the first stone in what later became Our Lady of Victories Church . In his book Dell'Istoria della Sacra Religione et Illustrissima Militia di San Giovanni Gierosolimitano (English: The History of the Sacred Religion and Illustrious Militia of St John of Jerusalem ), written between 1594 and 1602, Giacomo Bosio writes that when

2886-402: The city. People can leave their vehicles in a nearby Floriana car park and transfer to a van for the rest of the trip. In 2007, a congestion pricing scheme was implemented to reduce long-term parking and traffic while promoting business in the city. An ANPR -based automated system takes photos of vehicles as they enter and exit the charging zone and vehicle owners are billed according to

2960-502: The completion of his city. Originally interred in the church of Our Lady of the Victories, his remains now rest in St. John's Co-Cathedral among the tombs of other Grand Masters of the Knights of Malta . Francesco Laparelli was the city's principal designer and his plan departed from medieval Maltese architecture, which exhibited irregular winding streets and alleys. He designed the new city on

3034-478: The construction of the city himself after Laparelli's death in 1570. The Ufficio delle Case regulated the building of the city as a planning authority . The city of Valletta was mostly completed by the early 1570s, and it became the capital on 18 March 1571 when Grand Master Pierre de Monte moved from his seat at Fort St Angelo in Birgu to the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta . Seven Auberges were built for

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3108-408: The construction of the theatre, plays and amateur theatrical productions were staged in the halls and piano nobiles of the Knights' auberges. These were palaces constructed for the langues of the Order. The Langue of Italy often held such entertainment, staged by its knights in their Auberge. The records of the Langue even state that, on 2 February 1697, some Maltese gentlemen presented a play in

3182-487: The cornerstone of Valletta was placed, a group of Maltese elders said: " Iegi zimen en fel wardia col sceber raba iesue uquie " (Which in modern Maltese reads, " Jiġi żmien li fil-Wardija [l-Għolja Sciberras] kull xiber raba' jiswa uqija ", and in English, "There will come a time when every piece of land on Sciberras Hill will be worth its weight in gold"). De Valette died from a stroke on 21 August 1568 at age 74 and never saw

3256-415: The crowd, showering handfuls of gold coins on the people that had gathered to applaud. Over the course of the next half-century, it was the venue for an extensive repertoire of lyric operas performed by companies of visiting professionals or by amateur groups of knights, and French tragedies or Italian comedies. Works by Johann Adolf Hasse , Niccolò Piccinni and Baldassare Galuppi were extremely popular at

3330-819: The day and 16 °C (61 °F). Valletta experiences a lack of precipitation during the summer months and most of the precipitation happens during the winter months. Winter temperatures are moderated by the surrounding sea, as a result, the city has very mild winters and a long seasonal lag. The official climate recording station in Malta is at Luqa Airport, which is a few miles inland from Valletta. Average high temperatures range from around 16 °C (61 °F) in January to about 32 °C (90 °F) in August, while average low temperatures range from around 10 °C (50 °F) in January to 23 °C (73 °F) in August. The architecture of Valletta's streets and piazzas ranges from mid-16th century Baroque to Modernism . The city

3404-497: The directum dominium was sold to Emmanuele Scicluna for £7,833.6.8. Subsequent owners were Carmelo Arpa, a chemist (1889) and the Gollcher family (1906–7). The theatre had fallen into disuse in 1866, as a result of the construction of Malta's new Royal Opera House , designed by Edward Middleton Barry , on Strada Reale, at the entrance to Valletta. The theatre began to serve as a doss house for homeless and indigent citizens, who rented out

3478-400: The duration of their stay. Valletta is served by a fleet of electric taxis which transport riders from 10 points in Valletta to any destination in the city. As of 2021, an underground Malta Metro is being planned, with a projected total cost of €6.2 billion, centred on the Valletta urban area. Impresario An impresario (from Italian impresa , 'an enterprise or undertaking')

3552-528: The first public airing of Malta's National Anthem, " L-Innu Malti . " During the Second World War , Teatru Manoel served as emergency accommodation for victims of the constant bombardment by the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica . In the early 20th century, it was also used intermittently as the venue for Carnival balls and, for a period of about twenty years, it operated as a movie theatre . The theatre

3626-449: The garrison. It was excessively crowded every night by the officers of the expedition, to whom it was a great source of amusement. The price of admission is one shilling." During the early British Era , the " Teatro Pubblico " was renamed as the "Teatro Reale" , going through a series of enlargements and re-modellings throughout the 19th century, most notably in 1812, when Sir George Whitmore added today's gallery and proscenium , raised

3700-537: The lighthouse on site. A family which surely owned land became known as Sceberras , now a Maltese surname as Sciberras. At one point the entire peninsula became known as Sceberras. [REDACTED] Hospitaller Malta 1566–1798 [REDACTED] French Republic 1798–1800 [REDACTED] Protectorate of Malta 1800–1813 [REDACTED] Crown Colony of Malta 1813–1964 [REDACTED] State of Malta 1964–1974 [REDACTED] Republic of Malta 1974–present Recent scholarly studies have however shown that

3774-836: The main emphasis during recent decades has been on instrumental music. The theatre is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands . Many opera singers, musicians and troupes have graced its stage. These include Boris Christoff , Mirella Freni , Rosanna Carteri, Cecilia Gasdia, Louis Kentner, Flaviano Labò, Dame Moura Lympany , Sir Yehudi Menuhin , John Neville , Magda Olivero , Michael Ponti , Katia Ricciarelli , Mstislav Rostropovich , Dame Margaret Rutherford , Steve Hackett , Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Donald Wolfit . Visiting companies at Teatru Manoel have included Nottingham Playhouse ,

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3848-571: The nobility, charged the impresario with hiring a composer (until the 1850s operas were expected to be new) and the orchestra, singers, costumes and sets, all while assuming considerable financial risk. In 1786 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart satirized the stress and emotional mayhem in a single-act farce Der Schauspieldirektor ( The Impresario ). Antonio Vivaldi was unusual in acting as both impresario and composer; in 1714 he managed seasons at Teatro San Angelo in Venice, where his opera Orlando finto pazzo

3922-407: The port, built by the Knights as a magnificent series of bastions, demi-bastions, cavaliers and curtains, approximately 100 metres (330 ft) high, all contribute to the unique architectural quality of the city. Valletta contains a number of unofficial neighbourhoods, including: Eurostat estimates the labour force in 2015 for the greater Valletta area at around 91,000 people. This corresponds to

3996-432: The rent to be paid by the impresario at 320 scudi per annum, of which 80 accrued for rent from Easter to August, 120 for autumn, and another 120 scudi from Christmas to Carnival . When dances or veglioni ( masked ball ) were held in the theatre, the pit was raised by a scaffolding to the level of the stage. On 22 August 1778 regulations were passed for the lighting of the theatre and corridors on such occasions, with

4070-460: The rest of the harbor area. The Royal Opera House , constructed at the city entrance in the 19th century, was one of the buildings lost to the raids. In 1980, the 24th Chess Olympiad took place in Valletta. The entire city of Valletta has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980, along with Megalithic Temples of Malta and the Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni . On 11 November 2015, Valletta hosted

4144-541: The revolt was eventually suppressed. In 1798, the French invaded the island and expelled the Order. After the Maltese rebelled, French troops continued to occupy Valletta and the surrounding harbour area, until they capitulated to the British in September 1800. In the early 19th century, the British Civil Commissioner, Henry Pigot , agreed to demolish the majority of the city's fortifications. The demolition

4218-507: The shading of lights, in any manner, being prohibited. In 1778, to avoid scandal, theatre companies were prohibited from sleeping in the boxes of the theatre. This was a practice which was common during that time. A few years later, in 1783, the Teatro Pubblico underwent considerable modification and decoration, based on a design by the Roman architect, Natale Marini. A model was displayed before

4292-525: The stalls for a few pennies a night. However, in 1873, the Teatro Reale – was officially renamed " Manoel Theatre ", and it enjoyed a brief new lease on life when the Royal Opera House burnt down. But by 1877, the Royal Opera House had been rebuilt, and once more, Teatru Manoel was eclipsed and fell again into disuse. On 27 December 1922, 6 January 1923 and 3 February 1923, Teatru Manoel was the venue for

4366-416: The theatre during its early years. In its early days, the management of the theatre, and censorship of its performances, was entrusted to a senior knight, known as the Protettore. The first recorded impresario was Melchiorre Prevvost Lanarelli in 1736, and the last Giovanni Le Brun in 1866. From 1768 to 1770 the impresario was a woman, Natala Farrugia. In setting up the theatre, Grand Master de Vilhena set

4440-506: The traditional sense include Thomas Beecham , Rudolf Bing , Sergei Diaghilev , Richard D'Oyly Carte , Fortune Gallo , Sol Hurok , Sarah Caldwell , Andrew Lloyd Webber , Aaron Richmond , and jazz festival producer George Wein . Bill Graham , who produced music shows at The Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, was known as a rock music impresario. The term is occasionally applied to others, such as independent art museum curators , event planners, and conference organizers who have

4514-457: The understanding of the theatre's development. This second phase included the cleaning of the gilt. The third phase included the restoration of the proscenium arch and the boxes it incorporates, while the fourth phase of the restoration project was the ceiling's restoration, which was inaugurated on 3 October 2006. Although controversial, an application to restore the theatre's façade was approved by Maltese planning and heritage supervisory bodies and

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4588-438: Was Maffei 's Merope . The theatre is a small, 623 seat venue, with an oval-shaped auditorium , three tiers of boxes constructed entirely of wood, decorated with gold leaf, and a pale blue trompe-l'œil ceiling that resembles a round cupola. The building is a Grade 1 listed building as noted by Malta's Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, and is also scheduled by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA). Before

4662-399: Was again proposed in the 1870s and 1880s, but it was never carried out and the fortifications have survived largely intact. Eventually building projects in Valletta resumed under British rule. These projects included widening gates, demolishing and rebuilding structures, widening newer houses over the years, and installing civic projects. The Malta Railway , which linked Valletta to Mdina ,

4736-442: Was built by Francesco Zerafa and Antonio Azzopardi. Construction was finished in only ten months. This however, may be because alterations were made to the fabric of the three adjoining houses, incorporating them into a theatre. The building occupied an area of 94½ square canes , which was later altered to 93 square canes and 2½ palms. The theatre is said to have been modelled after the contemporary Palermo Theatre. Its auditorium

4810-400: Was demolished and the larger Fort Saint Elmo was built in its place. In the Great Siege of 1565, Fort Saint Elmo fell to the Ottomans , but the Order eventually won the siege with the help of Sicilian reinforcements. The victorious Grand Master, Jean de Valette , immediately set out to build a new fortified city on the Sciberras Peninsula to fortify the Order's position in Malta and bind

4884-465: Was followed by numerous others. Alessandro Lanari (1787–1852), who began as the owner of a shop that produced costumes, eliminated the middleman in a series of successful seasons he produced for the Teatro della Pergola in Florence. He presented the premieres of the first version of Giuseppe Verdi 's Macbeth , two of Vincenzo Bellini 's operas and five of Gaetano Donizetti 's, including Lucia di Lammermoor . Domenico Barbaia (1778–1841) began as

4958-505: Was given as a gala night in honour of the Queen Dowager, featuring soprano Camilla Darbois. English and Italian opera and operetta were the most popular productions at the Teatro Reale throughout the 19th century; however, the Maltese public was particularly supportive of operas by Rossini , Bellini , Donizetti and Verdi . In 1861, the Teatro Reale was given on perpetual lease, by the government, to Dr. Salvatore Mifsud and Anacleto Conti for an annual ground rent of £236,15, and in 1862,

5032-413: Was held on 20 November 1993. Other elections were held in 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2017. The present local council was elected in 2019. The local council is housed in a building in South Street. The following people have served as Mayors of Valletta: Valletta is the capital city of Malta, and is the country's administrative and commercial hub. The Parliament of Malta has been housed at

5106-417: Was included on the Antiquities List of 1925. Despite numerous alterations over the years, it retains many of its old architectural features, such as the white Carrara marble staircase, shell-shaped niches, and Viennese chandeliers. Two water reservoirs beneath the floor create an acoustic environment that is so precise that the hushed page-turnings of an orchestra conductor can be heard clearly throughout

5180-429: Was officially opened in 1883. It was closed down in 1931 after buses became a popular means of transport. In 1939, Valletta was abandoned as the headquarters of the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet due to its proximity to Italy and the city became a flash point during the subsequent two-year long Siege of Malta . German and Italian air raids throughout the Second World War caused much destruction in Valletta and

5254-415: Was officially recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980. The city has 320 monuments, all within an area of 0.55 square kilometres (0.21 sq mi), making it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world. Sometimes called an "open-air museum", Valletta was chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2018. Valletta was also listed as the sunniest city in Europe in 2016. The city

5328-417: Was originally semi-circular or horseshoe shaped, with an illuminated parterre that served as a small dance floor. The first theatrical performance to be staged at the Teatro Pubblico was Scipione Maffei's classic tragedy Merope , on 9 January 1732. The actors in that production were the Knights themselves, and the set was designed by the Knights' chief military architect, Francois Mondion. On 26 January 1732

5402-538: Was restored in 2017. Today, Teatru Manoel continues to put on a broad variety of theatrical productions in both English and Maltese , opera, musical recitals (including lunchtime recitals in Sala Isouard ), poetry recitals, dramatic readings, and an annual Christmas pantomime , produced by the Malta Amateur Dramatic Club . Management of the theatre is currently entrusted to Acting-CEO Edward Zammit, until

5476-657: Was the site of the National Museum of Fine Arts . The Manoel Theatre ( Maltese : Teatru Manoel ) was constructed in just ten months in 1731, by order of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena , and is one of the oldest working theatres in Europe. The Mediterranean Conference Centre was formerly the Sacra Infermeria . Built in 1574, it was one of Europe's most renowned hospitals during the Renaissance. The fortifications of

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