Republic Street, Valletta
| Triq ir-Repubblika | |
|
Republic Street | |
| Former name(s) |
Rue Nationale Strada Reale Kingsway |
|---|---|
| Maintained by | Transport Malta, Valletta Local Council |
| Length | 1.0 km (0.6 mi) |
| Location | Valletta, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°54′00″N 14°30′47″E / 35.9000136°N 14.5131579°ECoordinates: 35°54′00″N 14°30′47″E / 35.9000136°N 14.5131579°E |
| Other | |
| Known for | City Gate, Parliament of Malta, Courts of Justice, Auberge de Provence, Palazzo Ferreria, La Borsa |
Republic Street (Maltese: Triq ir-Repubblika) is a principal street in the capital city of Valletta, Malta. It is about 1 kilometer long (0.6 miles) and is known for legislative, judiciary and commercial purposes. It is mostly pedestrianised.
History
After the Great Siege of Malta, Valletta was planned and built on a grid's layout by the Order of St. John, with Republic Street (back then, Strada San Giorgio) in the midst, to become the main street of the city.
The street has had several different names over the course of history. During the Order of St. John it was known Strada San Giorgio, during the French occupation of Malta it was named Rue Nationale, during the Crown colony of Malta it was named Strada Reale, and during the period of the Anglicisation of Malta under Prime Minister Sir Gerald Strickland the street was named Kingsway in 1836. The Maltese renamed the street to its current name.[1]
Being in the heart of one of the most important cities in Malta, Republic Street, together with the rest of the surrounding region, was heavily bombed and sufferred a great deal of damage during World War II.[2]
In the contemporary day, Valletta is a hub of political, legislative, judiciary, commercial, business, retail and social reasons, such as fashion and music.[3] It becomes busy during the Christmas period.[4]
Layout
Republic Street extends from City Gate towards the granaries at Fort St. Elmo.[1][5]
In its downward course the main street runs perpendicular with several other streets given Valletta's grid layout. It also encounters several buildings and squares of note, such as City Gate, Freedom Square, the Parliament of Malta, Palazzo Ferreria, Royal Opera House, the Archaeology Museum, St. John's Square, the Courts of Justice, the Casino Maltese, Republic Square, Grandmaster's Palace, St. George's Square, Spinola Palace, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, Casa Rocca Piccola and others.
Management
The street is managed by the Valletta Local Council as well as the Maltese government, including waste management.[6]
The street is mostly dedicated to pedestrians, with highly limited vehicle use – only commercial vehicles to load and unload on early morning are allowed.[7] This also applies to general maintenance vehicles. Only karozzini[8] and electric cabs[9] are allowed to drive up and down the street, while taxis can cross at intersections.
The Malta Police Force uses segways to patrol the street.[10]
See also
References
- 1 2 Denaro, Victor F. (1959). "Houses in Kingsway and Old Bakery Street, Valletta". Journal of the Malta Historical Society. Melita historica. 2 (4): 204.
- ↑ Malta. "History - Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce". Micc.org.mt. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ↑ "About Malta | Birzebbuga Local Council". Birzebbugalc.com. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ↑ "Kuntrasti fi Triq ir-Repubblika f'temp ta' 24 siegħa". TVM. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ↑ Pappalardo, Salvo (2008). "Torri costiere e fortificazioni in sicilia e a malta in età moderna". In Anthony Bonanno. Malta and Sicily: Miscellaneous Research Projects (PDF). Koiné Archeologica Sapiente Antchità (KASA) (in Italian) (2 ed.). Officina di Studi Medievali, University of Catania. p. 232. ISBN 88-88615-83-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2012.
- ↑ Allied Newspapers Ltd (2016-12-12). "Times of Malta ‒ Council says refuse truck in Republic Street operated without permit". Timesofmalta.com. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ↑ "Police". Steno.webs.com. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ↑ "Karozzin Ride". 101 Malta. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ↑ Allied Newspapers Ltd (2007-06-15). "Times of Malta ‒ Valletta gets its own clean taxi service". Timesofmalta.com. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
- ↑ Allied Newspapers Ltd (2011-08-11). "Valletta police on the beat, using Segways". Timesofmalta.com. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
