Courtyard of The Grand Master's Palace

Begun by Grand Master Pietro del Monto of The Knights of St. John in 1571 soon after the order had been gifted Malta by the Emperor of Spain, the Grand Master's Palace in Valletta was added to and embellished over the centuries until the order weakened and fled before Napoleon in 1798. The palace then served as a home for Napoleon's installed government. When at Malta's request, the British Empire invaded Malta and drove the French Empire away, it wasn't long until Malta became a British colony in 1814. Unsurprisingly the Grand Master's Palace was then turned into the British Governor's residence and seat of the colony's government. Malta became an independent republic in 1964 and since then the palace has housed the country's government. Remarkably the building still retains a lot of the decorations and features of the Knights of St. John.