though the new city planned by La Vallette was to house the rich princes and Knights of Order, its building began with the most important parts the fortifications that Surround it. Later, beautiful palaces and 'Auberges' were built, some of them (like those of Castille and Italy) of exquisite plan and workmanship. For the Grand Master, a special Palace was built, with vast balls, corridors, and armoury. A Conventual's (official) Church that of St. John, was erected near it in the centre of Valletta. Such fine buildings made the city very dear to the Knights, at the same time, many Maltese distinguished themselves by making many works of art for it: and foremost among these were Glormu Cassar, architect of the Order, and Melchiorre Gafa', a talented sculptor.
On his election every Grand Master promised to give a 'goia' (costly gift), to the Order: That is why we still have in Malta so many priceless treasures. For example, La Cassiere (1572-81), built the 'Holy Infirmary " or Hospital , and the Church of St. John, de Verdale (1581-95) built the Palace near Buskett and, out of his own money, a fort to keep the Turks away from Gozo. Alof de Wignacourt 's name is famous for the 'aqueduct' which brought water from the springs of Bingemma to the City, and which took four years to build (1610-14) at a cost of £35,200 of those days, and most of which he paid out of his own purse. Several fountains were constructed, the most beautiful one being that built in the middle of the Square opposite the Grand Master's Palace.
Antoine de Paul (1623-26) founded the new town called after him (Paola), planned San Anton Gardens, and invited the celebrated engineer Floriani to build a second line of defences for Valletta, that is why the well known suburb is called Floriana. But the greatest project of defence was the idea of Nicholas Cottoner to provide refuge for the people of Birgu and of the surrounding countryside in ease of another siege. So, he built a line of bastions and defences almost three miles long enclosing a vast area. This was an amazing project and the name of that area, Cottonera, immortalizes this Grand Master. Lascaris (1636-57) protected the art of printing, and asked Pompeo del Fiore to start the first printing press in Malta, Since then, the Government Printing Press has always been housed on the ground floor of the Palace itself.

THE ORDER LOSES ITS BRIGHTNESS

by the 18th Century, the sworn. Enemies of the Order (Turks and Corsairs) had dis­appeared from the Mediterranean, the Navy of the Order had little to do, and the old activity of the Knights had finished. Build­ing of ships stopped, the navy and the army were very much reduced, and the result was that the treasury of the Order was empty, and many Maltese were unemployed.
Often, the Grand Masters did not respect the rights of the Maltese, and the population was not at all happy about the situation. Pinto still wanted to live like a king, but there was no money left for him to spend. His successor, Ximenes (1773-75) promised many reforms when he was elected Grand Master, but he never fulfilled his pro­mises. Moreover in 1789, when de Rohan was Grand Master, the French Revolution robbed the Order's properties in France, French knights fled to Malta, and the num­ber of Jacobins (full of the idea that the Revolution was to make France a bigger Nation) increased in Malta, and brought many quarrels among the Knights.
It seemed that the days of the Order were numbered, it was weak and poor, at the same time Napoleon set his eyes on Malta, as a stepping stone to Egypt

Grand Master Ximenes denied many tights of the clergy and of the people. The price of corn was raised, misery was every­where, and the people turned against Ximenes. He promised to help Malta, but never did anything. So, a plot was agreed upon, and Don Gaetano Mannarino was chosen to lead the revolt planned by some priests, clerics, and a number of laymen to have rights restored and prices lowered. One group, under Mannarino, attacked and captured St. Elmo, the other group, with false keys, captured St. James's Cavalier, lowered the flag of the Order, and hoisted the Maltese one instead,
Surprised at the revolt, Grand Master and Council ordered all guards to go out and take St. Elmo, but the grand rebellion hoped for by Mannarino and feared by Ximenes never developed, for the people were afraid of the punishment awaiting rebels.
A truce followed some promises by the Council, and the people seemed quiet again, then, the Grand Master arrested the ring­leaders, and three were beheaded, two courts were set up at St. Elmo and at the Castellania (Court of Justice) to try the rebels, Mannarino was sentenced to life imprisonment, and the others were exiled