The city of Valletta was built by the Knights of Saint John after the routing of the Ottoman navy in 1565. The new city provided better protection for the important Grand Harbour and was the home of the Knights until the arrival of Napoleon at the beginning of the 19th century. Valletta is a lovely city built of native limestone. Enclosed balconies more typical of northern Africa look on the narrow streets. The Co-Cathedral of Saint John is at the heart of the city. The ornate cathedral boasts two Caravaggios, but its glory is the floor paved with the elaborately inlaid tombstones of the knights
