FORT ST. ELMO

Valletta, Malta

Fort St Elmo is at the very heart of Malta. A small watchtower here was rebuilt in 1533 after the Knights of Malta arrived here in 1530. Subsequently additions were added and in 1565 the Fort was put to the test.

The Ottoman Turks arrived to besiege the whole island and the garrison of St Elmo, made up of 100 knights and no less than 700 foot soldiers, fought long and hard to keep the island free of occupation. For longer than a month they held out against bombardment from the sea and the occupied land to the south. Eventually, the inevitable happened and the Fort surrendered. The Fort was rebuilt after this attack to a similar plan of the original.

When Valletta was refortified, Fort St Elmo became a key part of that refortification. The Grand Order was finally removed from Malta by Napoleon who looted the Fort and the Sacra Infermeria on its landward side.

During World War II the Fort held out against Italian invaders who did not succeed where the Turks had. Fort St Elmo and Malta both held out against repeated landing attempts by Facist and Nazi troops. They never managed to take the island and, appropriately, the George Cross which Malta was awarded is on display inside Fort St. Elmo.

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2019