A print shared by Bernard Camilleri onto the Facebook group ‘Malta Lura fil-Passat’ shows what Valletta once could have been!

After the extensive destruction Valletta experienced during World War II from the never-ending aerial bombardments, plans were being made to completely rebuilt the city.

As can be seen from the plan above, the way Valletta was built by the Knights of St John would have been completely remodelled.

The plan was drawn up as a suggestion some time in 1945 by Joseph Mamo.

This new model for Valletta also appeared in the above newspaper clipping. The caption explains how an elevated circuit road would have been built around the city to create less traffic congestion.  

As observed from the model, the buildings were much higher, and this was to increase housing and residential properties up by 50%. Most of the narrower streets were completely eliminated to decrease the possibility of slums.

The plans were eventually abandoned, and Valletta was slowly rebuilt after the war the way the Knights intended.