II of 1925, and in 1936 it was granted the title of Royal Malta Library by King George V. In 1937, the archives of the Order were transferred to the library from the Public Registry. In 1976, the Central Public Library was opened in Floriana, and the Valletta library became a research and reference library known as the National Library of Malta. Architecture The library building was designed by the Polish-Italian architect Stefano Ittar, and it is an early example of neoclassical architecture in Malta. It has a symmetrical façade with Doric and Ionic columns. The first floor is supported on a loggia, with the main doorway in the centre. A balustraded balcony is located above the doorway, and it is supported by Doric and Ionic columns. The building is also well known for its neo-classic monumental staircase that spreads from the main entrance to the upper floors. Evidence shows that while Stefano was the main architect, his son Sebastiano Ittar continued the design after his father died before finalizing the work. The library building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925. It is now scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument, and it is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. Collections The National Library of Malta's collections include: Pie Postulatio Voluntatis, a papal bull issued by Pope Paschal II in 1113 confirming the establishment of the Order of St. John the archives of the Order of St. John from the Middle Ages to 1798 the archives of the Treasury of the Order the archives of the Università of Mdina and that of Valletta from 1450 to 1818 1617 codices and manuscripts 60 incunabula, including Quintilian's Institutiones Oratoriæ (1476), Caoursin's Obsidionis Rhodiae urbis descriptio (1480) and Rhodiorum Historia (1496), Ptolemy's Cosmographia (1490), the Privilegia Ordinis Sancti Joannis Hierosolymitani a Summis Pont. concessa (1495) and Plautus' Comœdiæ (1499) a large collection of Melitensia (books, pamphlets, newspapers etc. by Maltese authors or related to Malta), including some of the earliest newspapers published in Malta (such as the Journal de Malte, Foglio d'Avvisi, L'Argo, Il Cartaginese and Giornale di Malta) maps dating from the 16th to the 20th centuries, including maps of local roads, fortifications and archaeological sites a collection of fine bindings, including volumes made for King Louis XV of France and later donated to de Tencin Further reading A library unlovely in