Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/516

482 the Città Vittoriosa, was but ill-suited to be the head-quarters of the convent. Exposed on all sides to hills by which it was overlooked, the difficulty of maintaining it during a lengthened siege had been so clearly shewn that some change was imperative. No other spot within the island afforded so many advantages as Mount Soeberras. The expense, however, of such a design was undoubtedly enormous, and the treasury being utterly exhausted, it was necessary to look for foreign assistance to carry out the project. Ambassadors were therefore despatched to all the leading courts of Europe, furnished with plans of the proposed scheme, and requesting aid for carrying it out. The Order at this moment stood in very high favour throughout all the Catholic countries of Europe. The good services it had rendered to Christendom by averting the dreaded inroads of the Moslem were everywhere recognized and appreciated. La Valetto received in consequence the promise of such liberal contributions that he was able at once to begin the realization of his project. The Pope guaranteed a subsidy of 15,000 crowns; the king of France, 140,000 livres; Philip, 90,000 livres; and the king of Portugal, 30,000 crusadoes. Whilst this assistance was being rendered from without, the members of the fraternity vied with one another in the extent of their gifts. Many of the wealthiest commanders, not satisfied with forwarding the entire revenues of their commanderies, stripped themselves of much of their personal property, which they cheerfully tendered in aid of the good work. Thus encouraged, La Valette summoned the most able engineers and architects then in Italy, and no longer delayed the commencement of the town. The Pope, not content with the contribution he had made in money, despatched his chief engineer, Francesco Laparelli, to aid the Grand-Master by his advice and professional skill. The design of most of the principal works of Valetta may be attributed to this officer, the general idea only having been sketched out by La Valette.

Matters being thus prepared, the 28th of March, 1566, was selected as the day on which to lay the first stone of the new city. The name to be given to it was Valetta, and the Grand-Master added thereto, as was the common practice in those days,