The Knights of Malta. You can’t go anywhere in Malta without learning about how 700 Knights Hospitallers of St. John ...“the Knights of Malta”...saved Malta from an invasion of 40,000 Turks in the 16th century. Later, the Knights built the fortress city of Valletta, an architectural masterpiece, with impressive bastions, now the capital of Malta. The Cathedral of St John is the centerpiece of the city and the final resting place for over 400 knights. Sensory overload sets in early with the amazing display of gold gilding on most surfaces, including the impressive eight-pointed Maltese Cross, the symbol of the Knights’ Order. Parts of Malta seem frozen in time with 16th and 17th century bastions and buildings everywhere. Not surprisingly, the timelessness of the island has drawn many film crews here. We noticed a film being shoot today against a backdrop of a fort. Period films made here in Troy, Alexander, Gladiator and Count of Monte Cristo to name a few.