The Forts of Malta

While many tourists flock to Malta for the sun, sea, and nightlife, this Mediterranean island’s rich and illustrious history has also made it a treasure trove of archaeological buildings and sites. The variety of forts still standing on the island offer a unique insight into the battles and great empires of the past, and offer visitors a glimpse of a time long gone in many other places.

Fort St. Elmo stands as part of what is now the Valletta bastions; Valletta being the capital city of Malta. Initially the site of a watchtower, reinforcement began in 1533, after the arrival of the Knights of Malta in 1530. Later, it was Italian, French, Spanish and British architectural influences that governed the construction of what is now known as Fort St. Elmo. When the Ottoman Empire laid siege to the island of Malta in 1565, St. Elmo had become a working fort, and was the scene of the siege’s most ferocious battles, with its garrison of 100 hundred knights, and seven hundred soldiers keeping the Turkish armies at bay for over a month until the fort eventually fell. The fort is still in working order today, and houses the police department’s headquarters, as well as the war museum where the original George Cross, awarded to Malta, is still displayed.

Fort St. Angelo was the home of the powerful Nava family in the 14th Century – the Aragonese feudal lords of Malta at that time. The actual site actually dates back to early medieval times and was possibly built by the island’s Arab rulers in the 11th Century, although the exact date of its construction remains unknown. The Knights of Malta chose to make this fort the seat of their Grand Master after their arrival in 1530, and Fort St.Angelo withstood the bombardment of the Turks during the Ottoman Empire’s siege in 1565. After the siege, the Knights of Malta built the great fortress city of Valletta, and moved their headquarters there, but Fort St.Angelo remains until this day leased, in part, to The Knights of St. John, and is also the site of the maritime museum.

Fort St. Agatha in Mellieha, on the North of the island is also known as The Red Fort due to its distinctive coloration. Built by order of Grand Master Lascaris of the Knights of Malta, this fort protected against the Ottoman Empire as well as the Corsairs. It commands a spectacular view over Mellieha bay, and from this vantage point would have been able to closely observe enemy shipping around the North of the island. After its completion in 1648 it contained a garrison of 30 men, and artillery from 1649, and was a key watch post for the Knights. It is still open today.

There are many other forts on the island, all with a rich story to tell of times gone by and heroic deeds. The great clashes Malta has endured have always been the result of its strategic location between Europe and Africa, serving as a supply, trading, and military base for countless empires throughout the ages. But it’s not only the military that left their mark on the island. As Empires and peoples came and went, they also left signs of their faiths and religious practices, and apart from its military wonders, Malta is also home to some of the oldest known religious sites and temples in existence anywhere, predating the great pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge. For the traveler who’s interested in more than just modern culture, Malta’s history and the history of many great nations form the fabric of the island’s modern landscape.