De Vilhena was elected Grand Master on 19 June 1722, three days after the death of his predecessor
Marc'Antonio Zondadari. On 20 September 1722, Vilhena took possession of the city of
Mdina. He was impressed by the warm welcome he received in the traditional ceremony, and on 3 November of the same year he issued orders for restoration of
the city's fortifications and renovation of the entire city. The renovation was entrusted to the French architect
Charles François de Mondion, who designed a number of
Baroque buildings in the largely medieval city. Buildings constructed in Mdina during Vilhena's magistracy include the
Mdina Gate, the
Torre dello Standardo,
Palazzo Vilhena, the
Banca Giuratale and the
Corte Capitanale. , which was financed by and named after de Vilhena In 1723, Vilhena financed the construction of
Fort Manoel on the
Isolotto (now
Manoel Island after the Grand Master) in
Marsamxett Harbour. The fort was completed ten years later, and it remained in use until the 20th century. Its
chapel was dedicated to St.
Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of the Grand Master. Vilhena also set up the Manoel Foundation in order to maintain and garrison the fort and its outworks. A
bronze statue of the Grand Master was installed in the fort's piazza in 1736, and it was relocated a number of times before being placed in its present location at Pope John XXIII Square in Floriana. Apart from the construction of Fort Manoel and the restoration of Mdina's walls, a number of improvements were made to the
fortifications of Malta throughout Vilhena's magistracy.
Saint Anthony's Battery was built on
Gozo, the
fortifications of Birgu were strengthened, and work continued on the unfinished
Cottonera Lines. In 1736, the
Santa Margherita Lines were finally completed nearly a century after construction had begun. The town is now known as
Floriana, and it retains symbols from Vilhena's coat of arms in its emblem. He also built a hunting lodge in
Naxxar in 1733, which was later converted into
Palazzo Parisio. Vilhena also embellished the 16th-century
Verdala Palace in
Buskett. Vilhena also ordered the construction of the
Teatro Pubblico in Valletta in 1731. The theatre opened a year later, and it was renamed
Manoel Theatre in the 19th century. It is still in operation today. Another public building constructed during Vilhena's magistracy is the
Banca Giuratale of Gozo, which was built in 1733. Vilhena's magistracy was marked by the only attempt to end the
perpetual war between the Order and the
Ottoman Empire and establish a
peace treaty. Negotiations were made through the French ambassador, but nothing materialized. Vilhena maintained the Order's
neutrality following the outbreak of the
War of the Polish Succession in 1733. ==Death==