The capital of the Maltese state of Valletta is so compact that you can walk around it several times in a day. The city was built by the Knights of Malta, representatives of a religious order that paid much attention to the spiritual life of its subjects. That is why on the small territory of the capital, surrounded by thick fortress walls, you can find more than a dozen different churches.
One of the dominants of the city is considered to be the Anglican Pro-Cathedral, consecrated in honour of St. Paul. Gothic and neoclassical elements were used in the design of its facades. This church was built on the site of the German Oberge, the headquarters belonging to the German knights who were members of the Order of Malta. The funds for the construction of the first Anglican church on the territory of Malta were allocated by the widow of William IV, the English Queen Adelaide, who came here in the 40s of the XIX century to improve her health. The architect Richard Lankershire worked on the cathedral. The church opened its doors to the faithful for the first time after its consecration in 1844 by the Bishop of Gibraltar. The church, built of Maltese limestone, is adorned by a spire 60 metres high.
One of the cathedral's attractions is the organ, which was brought here from the cathedral in the English city of Chester. It was created in 1684 by master craftsman Bernard Smith. According to legend, this organ was once played by Georg Friedrich Handel himself when he was passing through Chester.
In the aisles of the nave hang 12 flags belonging to troops who took part in the defence of Malta between 1940 and 1943.
