Manderaggio

By the early 20th century, over 2,500 people lived in an area of 2.5 acres (10,000 m2), with the worst sanitary conditions on the Maltese islands.

When the city of Valletta began to be constructed in 1566, the Order of St. John planned to build a mandracchio, a sheltered area to serve as a galley pen, in Marsamxett Harbour.

[4] In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Professor Bernard, Dr. W. H. Burrell, Captain P. Galton, Dr. J. Sutherland, Mr. Read, Sir Walter Johnson C.M.G., F.R.C.S.

and several other people made reports calling for the demolition of the Manderaggio due to a lack of space and hygiene.

[3] In 1913, Attilo Critien, who was the head of the Department of Health, visited the Manderaggio and found out that there were around 333 dwellings in the slum.

The scheme began to be implemented in November 1948, when the area's inhabitants were granted temporary residence in other parts of Valletta or in various localities around Malta, such as Floriana, Gżira and St. Julian's.