The gate, the ditch and the bastion

Abstract

The history of the City Gate and the entrance into Valletta is undeniably linked to the history of Malta and its people. At the gate, by definition, the weakest point in the enceinte of the landward fortifications, people from Valletta and those arriving from outside the town met and mingled, creating a richness of social interaction only paralleled by the activity on the waterfront. Seen from this perspective, City Gate has constituted since the beginning, a changing backdrop, not only to the everyday activities of the citizens but also to the commercial and social exchange with the country. This intercourse has always been a vital element of city life.