Economy of Valletta

to be the forerunner of the Medical School of the University of Malta. When the Order of St John of Jerusalem left the Maltese Islands, the French took over the Infirmary in June 1798, just after the occupation of the Island by General Napoleon Bonaparte. The Infirmary now became known as "Grand Hopital". From 1800 till 1918 during the British Rule, the Centre served as a Station Hospital. Situated very near to the Grand Harbour, the hospital was within easy reach of the sick and wounded servicemen as hospital ships brought them in. Between 1950-1951 it was turned into a Children’s Theatre and later served as an Examinations Hall. The building was finally transformed into the present Mediterranean Conference Centre in 1978. The Centre was inaugurated on the 11 February 1979 and was awarded the coveted Europa Nostra Diploma of Merit for the "superb restoration of the Sacra Infermeria and its adaptation for use as a conference centre."

The remains of the Nibbia Chapel of Bones next door to the Sacra Infermeria are being given a face-lift. Built by the knight Fra Giorgio Nibbia in 1612, the walls of the chapel were covered with human skulls, bones and even complete skeletons. It was the chapel of the cemetery of the Sacra Infermeria, which has since been restored and now functions as the Mediterranean Conference Centre, located in the present grounds of the Evans Building. The Nibbia Chapel was a domed, octagonal-shaped building and is known so after Fra Giorgio Nibbia who was buried there. Its facade consisted of a large portal panel having the main door set within two clustered sets of Doric pilasters on each side. The door's architrave was adorned with a marble plaque at the centre and topped by a broken rounded pediment. A thin cornice separated the upper section which was made up of a central light arched window set between two smaller clusters of pilasters and running scrolls. Above the whole was