The Evolution of Valletta's Street Names

The strategic position of Mount Sceberras on the promontory, protected by the sea on three sides in the sheltered waters of the Grand Harbour on one side and Marsamscetto on the other, did not escape the notice of the Order of St John when it took up residence on the Maltese Islands in 1530 and a project to build a city thereon was considered shortly after. However, it was not until the end of the |Great Siege on 1566 that the plan was put into effect and the foundation stone laid by Grandmaster Jean de la Valette on 28 March 1968 .

The city was built in the form of a grid and the names given to the streets lasted to 1798 when the Order was expelled by Napoleon Bonaparte. During the brief French occupation, new revolutionary names were assigned but, following the uprising by the Maltese and the subsequent absorption of Malta into the British Empire, the names were changed once more and have survived to this day with the exception of a handful, renamed in the 1970s after Malta achieved independence.

The Italian version of the names persisted even during the British period and it was not until the rise of fascism in Italy, followed by World War II, that they were officially discontinued.

Order of St John	French Occupation	British Period (Italian)	British Period (English)	Modern (Maltese)	Modern (English)
		East to west:
Strada San Luigi		Strada Levante	East Street	Triq il-Lvant	East Street
		Strada Santa Barbara	St Barbara Street	Triq Santa Barbara	St Barbara Street
Strada San Pietro	Rue de la Constitution	Strada Sant'Ursola	St Ursula Street	Triq Sant'Orsla	St Ursula Street
Strada San Paolo		Strada San Paolo	St Paul Street	Triq San Pawl	St Paul Street
Strada San Giacomo		Strada Mercanti	Merchants Street	Triq il-Merkanti	Merchants Street
		Strada Zaccaria	Zachary Street	Triq San Żakkarija	Zachary Street
		Strada Tesoreria	Treasury Street	Triq i-Teżorerija	Treasury Street
		Strada Federico	Frederick Street	Triq Federiku	Frederick Street
Strada San Giorgio	Rue Nationale	Strada Reale	Kingsway	Triq ir-Repubblika	Republic Street
		Strada Fontana	Fountain Street	Triq il-Għajn	Fountain Street
		Strada San Giuseppe	St Joseph Street	Triq San Ġużepp	St Joseph Street
		Strada Stretta	Strait Street	Triq id-Dejqa	Strait Street
Strada San Gio Battista		Strada Forni	Old Bakery Street	Triq il-Fran	Old Bakery Street
		Strada San Patrizio	St Patrick Street	Triq San Patrizju	St Patrick Street
Strada San Sebastiano	Rue de la Monnaie	Strada Zecca	Old Mint Street	Triq iż-Żekka	Old Mint Street
		Strada Toro	Bull Street	Triq Gendus	Bull Street
		Strada Ingenieri	Sappers Street	Triq l-Inġeniera	Sappers Street
		Strada San Biagio	St Blaise Street	Triq San Bjaġju	St Blaise Street
		Strada Scozzese	Scot Street	Triq MA Vassalli	MA Vassalli Street
		Strada San Carlo	St Charles Street	Triq San Karlu	St Charles Street
Strada San Michele	Rue des Moulins au Vent	Strada Ponente	West Street	Triq il-Punent	West Street
		South to North:
Strada del Palazzo	Rue du Genie	Strada Mezzodě	South Street	Triq Nofs in-Nhar	South Street
		Strada Regina	Queen Street	Triq Papa Piju V	Pope Pius V Street
		Strada Ordinanza	Ordnance Street	Triq l-Ordinanza	Ordnance Street
		Strada Molini al Vento	Windmill Street	Triq l-Imtieħen	Windmill Street
Strada Pia/della Falconeria	Rue de la Félicité Publique	Strada Britannica	Britannia Street	Triq Melita	Melita Street
		Strada San Marco	St Mark Street	Triq San Marku	St Mark Street
Strada del Monte	Rue du Peuple	Strada San Giovanni	St John Street	Triq San Ġwann	St John Street
Strada della Vittoria	Rue des Defenseurs de la Patrie	Strada Santa Lucia	St Lucia Street	Triq Santa Luċija	St Lucia Street
		Strada Carmine	Carmelite Street	Triq il-Karmnu	Carmelite Street
Strada del Salvatore	Rue de la Fraternité	Strada Teatro	Old Theatre Street	Triq it-Teatru l'Antik	Old Theatre Street
Strada del Popolo/dei Greci	Rue des Liberateurs de la Patrie	Strada Vescovo/Arcivescovo1	Bishop/Archbishop Street1	Triq l-Arċisqof	Archbishop Street
		Strada San Michele	St Michael Street	Triq San Mikiel	St Michael Street
Strada Fontana	Rue des Droits de l'Homme	Strada San Cristoforo3	St Christopher Street3	Triq San Kristofru3	St Christopher Street3
		Strada Aquila	Eagle Street	Triq l-Ajkla	Eagle Street
		Strada Sant'Anna	St Anne Street	Triq Sant'Anna	St Anne Street
Strada San Marco	Rue des Patriots	Strada San Domenico	St Dominic Street	Triq San Duminku	St Dominic Street
Strada San Pantaleone		Strada San Nicola	St Nicholas Street	Triq San Nikola	St Nicholas Street
Strada Fortuna		Strada Ospedale	Hospital Street	Triq l-Isptar	Hospital Street
		Strada Sperone	Spur Street	Triq l-Ixprun	Spur Street
Strada Sant'Elmo		Strada Tramontana	North Street	Triq it-Tramuntana	North Street
Strada San Simone		Strada Scaloni	Steps Street	Triq it-Taraġ	Steps Street
		Squares:
Piazza d'Armi	Place de la Liberté	Piazza San Giorgio/del Palazzo	St George/Palace Square	Misraħ San Ġorġ2	St George Square2
Piazza Tesoreria		Piazza Regina	Queen Square	Misraħ ir-Repubblika	Republic Square
		Piazza del Gran Assedio	Great Siege Square	Misraħ l'Assedju l-Kbir	Great Siege Square
		Piazza Castiglia	Castile Square	Misraħ Kastilja	Castile Square
Piazza San Giovanni		Piazza San Giovanni	St John Square	Misraħ San Ġwann	St John Square

 

1. The name was changed when Malta was elevated to an Archbishopric in 1944

2. Although officially St George Square, it is popularly known as Misraħ il Palazz or Palace Square

3. This street is also known as just Triq Kristofru or Christopher Street

 

Any correction or relative information will be gratefully accepted. Please e-mail:  

 

Sources:

Castagna, P.P.: L-Istorja ta' Malta bil-Gzejjer taghha, 3 volumes, 2nd edition, Stamperia ta C. Busuttil, Valletta, 1890

Denaro, Victor F. Houses in Merchants street, Valletta.  Melita Historica : Journal of the Malta Historical Society v. II n. 3 y. 1958 pp. 158-171

ibid: Houses in Kingsway and Old Bakery street, Valletta. Melita Historica : Journal of the Malta Historical Society v. II n. 4 y. 1959 pp. 201-215

ibid: More houses in Valletta. Melita Historica : Journal of the Malta Historical Society v. III n. 2 y. 1961 pp. 1-8

ibid: Still more houses in Valletta. Melita Historica : Journal of the Malta Historical Society v. III n. 3 y. 1962 pp. 42-58

ibid: Yet more houses in Valletta. Melita Historica : Journal of the Malta Historical Society v. III n. 4 y. 1963 pp. 15-32