The capital of Malta, locally known as Il-Belt ("The City"), is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and shares his history with the island. Immediately after the end of the Siege of Malta in 1565, the Order decided to found a new city on the Xiberras peninsula to fortify the Order's position in Malta and bind the Knights to the island. The foundation stone of Valletta was laid by the Grandmaster of the Order, Jean Parisot de la Valette, on 28 March 1566 but La Vallette died on 1568 and never saw the completion of his city. Francesco Laparelli, the city's principal architect, designed the new city on a rectangular grid and the streets were designed to be wide and straight. The city is named for Jean Parisot de la Valette, who succeeded in defending the island from an Ottoman invasion in 1565. The official name given by the Order of Saint John was Humilissima Civitas Valletta, The Most Humble City of Valletta, "Città Umilissima" in Italian. Traditionally "Valletta" is the historic walled citadel which contains buildings from the 16th century, essentially Baroque in character, built during the rule of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as Knights Hospitaller. The City of Valletta, officially recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980, serves as Malta's principal administrative district. The city has two natural harbours, Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour, Malta's major port.