1720 Les villes forts et châteaux de Malte capitale de l'isle de ce nom...

A very rare early 18th century bird's-eye-view of Valletta, Malta in old color. The view looks down onto Fort St Elmo with the Floriana Lines presented in exceptional detail. A wide array of vessels are shown coming into and out of the port city which is known to be one of the finest in the Mediterranean formed by a natural peninsula situated within a deep water bay.  As cited from the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, Valleta is "inextricably linked to the history of the military and charitable Order of St John of Jerusalem. It was ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the Order of the Knights of St John. Valletta’s 320 monuments, all within an area of 55 ha, make it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world."