City Gate

Valletta


The Renzo Piano–designed City Gate forms part of the architect's dramatic and harmonious development. It echoes the dimensions of the original 1633 entrance, rather than the 1960s gate that it replaced, allowing passers-by to have the sensation of crossing a real bridge, and giving them views of the ditch and fortifications. The architecture is pared down and stark, and the gate is framed by a pair of metal blades, each 25m high, designed to look like knights' sabres.

Inside the gate, a pair of wide, gently sloping flights of steps, inspired by the stairs that framed the original gate, link the bastions of St James’ Cavalier and St John’s Cavalier to the lower-level Republic St. Looking back up Republic St, you'll notice the City Gate forms a distinct 'V' shape (for Valletta).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Valletta attractions

1. Triton Fountain

0.04 MILES

Sculpted by Maltese sculptor Vincent Apap in 1959, this grand fountain has been restored to perfection and reopened in early 2018 in time for Valletta's…

2. Parliament Building

0.06 MILES

Renzo Piano's breathtaking Parliament Building was completed in 2014. Its design includes two massive volumes of stone that look suspended in air, but are…

3. Royal Opera House

0.09 MILES

Built in the 1860s, the once imperious Opera House was destroyed during a German air raid in 1942. Its gutted shell was left as a reminder of the war, and…

4. St James' Cavalier

0.09 MILES

This 16th-century fortification has been transformed into a dazzling arts centre encompassing galleries, theatre and a cinema. Recent exhibitions have…

6. Pjazza de Valette

0.12 MILES

This square was inaugurated in 2012 on the site of the former police station. It's dedicated to Grand Master Valette, and dominated by a 2.5m-high statue…

8. MUŻA

0.13 MILES

MUŻA is a 2018 incarnation of Malta's Museum of Fine Arts, which closed in a previous location in 2016. Sited in the Auberge d'Italie, a 16th-century…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "malta/valletta/attractions/city-gate/a/poi-sig/1517048/360142",
      "destination": "Valletta",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Malta",
      "city": "Valletta",
      "position": "superzone"
    }