By the eighteenth century, the rule of the Knights of St John had long been established on the Islands.
The warfare of the past had been replaced by more peaceful pursuits. In 1731, the Order's Grand Master had an opera house constructed. Now named after its builder, Manoel de Vilhena, this little jewel lays claim to being the second-oldest opera house in Europe.
The arts in Malta - painting, sculpture, architecture and music (both secular as well as sacred) flourished during the two and a half centuries of rule by the Order. The built heritage is everywhere to be seen. The great baroque musical heritage is now being rediscovered.