Quote Originally Posted by Aedilred View Post
...Where castles remained operational they were upgraded to more modern fortifications and no longer look as mediaeval (see the picture of Valleta above, where the castle has been superseded by a star fort). So it is rare to find castles now that are "authentic" and still in good repair. Castles that appear to be have quite often been "restored" in modern times by the well-meaning (or not) but frequently misguided.
Actually, Valletta is one of those cases where the star fort on the end of that peninsular came first; the city and curtain wall around the city came later (followed by another wall (since demolished) farther inland). The knights of Malta had some of the most advanced castle engineering skills in Europe in their day. That grid pattern of streets was the first in Europe, pre-dating others by 70 years, and the star fort was one of the first built outside of Italy (where the design originated).