Historic Malta

Home
Historic Malta

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Historic Malta, Historical Tour Agency, .
(3)

Historic Malta is a 'Bastions and Broadsides' project dedicated to documenting Malta's rich and diverse modern history through military and naval architecture, both of which are inextricably linked to Malta's heritage and shape its historical landscape. Historic Malta is a 'Bastions and Broadsides' project dedicated to documenting Malta's rich and diverse modern history (post-1530) through militar

y and naval architecture, both of which are inextricably linked to Malta's heritage and shape its historical landscape.

23/11/2022

Pennant number: P404
Name: Vega
Class: Cassiopea
Ships in class: 4
Type: Patrol Boat
Launched: 24 February 1990
Force: Marina Militare (Italian Navy)
Photo date: 15 August 2022
Photo location: Pinto Wharf, Grand Harbour
…
See our visiting foreign warship and AFM Maritime Squadron photo galleries on our Naval History pages - link in bio.
…

02/09/2022

We are pleased to announce the launch of our YouTube Channel, where the full video can be viewed - link in bio! ..
TRIQ IL-WIESGĦA TOWER. Triq Il-Wiesgħa Tower (Torri ta' Triq il-Wiesgħa), also known as Mwejġel Tower, was constructed by the Order of St John in 1659 and takes its name from the "wide street" of coastline that it was designed to protect. The tower was built as the ninth of 13 De Redin Towers along the Maltese coastline, of which eight survive today. It features a standard design of a square plan with two floors and a turret.

Following decades of decay, the tower was restored in the 1930s and modified extensively in the lead up to the Second World War. Unlike other towers of the same design, the structure survived the war as it was not in the line of fire of nearby Fort Leonardo. After further degradation, restoration was once again carried out between 2008-2009 by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and features that were removed prior to World War 2, including the turret and parapet, were replaced.

Also featured are a British Second World War defence post directly behind Triq Il-Wiesgħa Tower and a searchlight emplacement further along the coast, which would have illuminated targets for the guns of Fort Leonardo, located on the hillside behind the tower.
…
See Triq Il-Wiesgħa Tower and others like it on our Order of St. John in Malta map on our Military Architecture pages - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

15/08/2022

GRUNENBERG BATTERY. Grunenberg Battery, also known as the Sea-Level Battery or Lower Spur Battery, was constructed in Senglea by the Order of St. John in the 1680s. The battery was designed by Carlos de Grunenbergh to protect the entrance to Dockyard Creek, between Birgu and Senglea. Grunenberg Battery consists of a thick masonry parapet wall with ten gun embrasures. The northern end of the battery was enclosed with a flanking wall and access was attained from the defences of Senglea via a flight of steps. Today, Grunenberg Battery houses a football pitch.
…
See Grunenberg Battery and others like it on our Order of St. John in Malta map on our Military Architecture pages - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

27/07/2022

Pennant number: D653
Name: Languedoc
Class: Aquitaine / FREMM
Ships in class: 19 active with France, Italy, Egypt and Morocco
Type: Frigate
Launched: 12 July 2014
Force: Marine Nationale (French Navy)
Photo date: 30 June 2022
Photo location: Boiler Wharf, Grand Harbour
…
See our visiting foreign warship and AFM Maritime Squadron photo galleries on our Naval History pages - link in bio.
…

20/07/2022

Pennant number: CG-56
Name: USS San Jacinto
Class: Ticonderoga
Ships in class: 27 (5 retired)
Type: Guided-missile cruiser
Launched: 14 November 1986
Force: United States Navy (USN)
Photo date: 28 June 2022
Photo location: Pinto Wharf, Grand Harbour
…
See our visiting foreign warship and AFM Maritime Squadron photo galleries on our Naval History pages - link in bio.
…

14/07/2022

SOPU TOWER. Sopu Tower (Torri ta' Sopu), also known as Isopu Tower or San Blas Tower, was constructed in 1667 by the Order of St. John between San Blas and Daħlet Qorrot in Gozo. Sopu Tower was the last traditional coastal watchtower to be constructed in the Maltese Islands. The tower is square in plan, with inward sloping walls, and follows a design similar to the towers at Xlendi and Dwejra. Above the main doorway are four escutcheons featuring the coats of arms of the Order of St. John, Gozo Università, Grand Master Cotoner and the Governor of Gozo respectively. Restoration of Sopu Tower was completed by in 2006 and it is open to the public on certain days.
…
See Sopu Tower and others like it on our Order of St. John in Malta map on our Military Architecture pages - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

01/06/2022

Pennant number: F930 (formerly F827)
Name: Leopold I (formerly Karel Doorman)
Class: Karel Doorman (M-Fregat)
Ships in class: 8
Type: Frigate
Launched: 20 April 1988
Force: Belgian Armed Forces Naval Component (formerly Royal Netherlands Navy)
Photo date: 30 May 2022
Photo location: Pinto Wharf, Grand Harbour
Notes: N/A
…
See our visiting foreign warship and AFM Maritime Squadron photo galleries on our Naval History pages - link in bio.
…

06/04/2022

PINTO BATTERY. Pinto Battery (Batterija ta' Pinto), also known as Għżira Battery (Batterija ta' Għżira) or Kechakara Battery, was constructed in Birżebbuġa by the Order of St. John in 1716. The battery was one of a number of coastal defences built around Marsaxlokk Bay and was tasked with defending Pretty Bay. Pinto Battery originally consisted of a semi-circular gun platform surrounded by a parapet with eight gun embrasures and a ditch. To the rear was a rectangular blockhouse with a redan. The blockhouse has been heavily modified and is used as a bar and garage, while the gun platform is in poor condition and the parapet, redan and ditch have been destroyed altogether.
…
See Pinto Battery and others like it on our Order of St. John map on our Military Architecture pages - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

26/02/2022

ROYAL ENGINEERS OFFICES, BIRGU. The Royal Engineers are a corps of the British Army which provides a military engineering capability. At the time of British rule in Malta, the Royal Engineers were responsible for both military engineering in the field and for the construction and upkeep of static fortifications, of which there were a considerable number in Malta. In fact, there was even a specialist unit within the Royal Engineers known as the Malta Fortress Squadron. The Royal Engineers in Malta were based in St. Francis Barracks in Floriana, located on one of the bastions of the Floriana Lines (St. Francis Bastion). In addition, the Royal Engineers operated at least two offices in Malta; one in Floriana and one in Birgu (pictured). The Birgu office of the Royal Engineers was constructed in 1904. Today, the offices house various government agencies including JobsPlus.
…
See the Royal Engineers Office in Birgu and others like it on our British Empire in Malta map on our Military Architecture pages - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

23/02/2022

Pennant number: M1067
Name: Bad Rappenau
Class: Frankenthal
Ships in class: 12 (2 sold to the United Arab Emirates)
Type: Minehunter
Commissioned: 19 April 1994
Force: German Navy
Photo date: 18 February 2022
Photo location: Pinto Wharf, Grand Harbour
Notes: Hull constructed from non-magnetic steel
…
See our visiting foreign warship and AFM Maritime Squadron photo galleries on our Naval History pages - link in bio.
…

19/02/2022

BIRŻEBBUĠA ENTRENCHMENT. Birżebbuġa Entrenchment was constructed in 1761 by the Order of St. John as part of their 18th century strategy of resisting an enemy force on the beaches of Malta. The previous strategy employed by the Order was to permit an opponent to land on Malta and for the knights to fall back to the fortified cities. From there, the knights and militias would mount their resistance.

In the 18th century, the strategy shifted and necessitated the construction of coastal batteries, redoubts and entrenchments. The premise behind Birżebbuġa Entrenchment and similar entrenchments elsewhere was to turn the whole island into an impregnable fortress. However, only a fraction of the entrenchments originally envisaged were eventually constructed. Today, a large section of Birżebbuġa Entrenchment remains in a car park close to the Freeport.
…
See Birżebbuġa Entrenchment and others like it on our Order of St. John map on our Military Architecture pages - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

16/02/2022

Pennant number: A604
Name: Seine
Class: Loire
Ships in class: 4
Type: Offshore Support & Assistance Vessel
Launched: 4 December 2017
Force: French Navy
Photo date: 14 February 2022
Photo location: Valletta, Grand Harbour
Notes: N/A
…
See our visiting foreign warship and AFM Maritime Squadron photo galleries on our Naval History pages - link in bio.
…

12/02/2022

ŻABBAR REDOUBT. Żabbar Redoubt (Ridott ta' Ħaż-Żabbar) was built by Maltese insurgents as part of the blockade of French forces in the Grand Harbour area following the invasion of 1798 under Napoleon. Although the arrival of French troops in Malta was initially viewed as liberation from the Order of St. John, relations between the French invaders and the Maltese quickly soured and then turned to all-out rebellion. Facing this uprising, French troops retreated to the fortifications of Valletta and the Three Cities, and Maltese battalions were organised, with batteries, redoubts and entrenchments constructed to encircle and blockade the French positions.

Being the closest town to the French forces, in Żabbar alone there were two batteries and a redoubt. Nothing remains of the two batteries which were demolished soon after the blockade ended, but the redoubt centred around a windmill which still stands. As a result of its proximity to French positions, Żabbar was repeatedly bombarded from the French-held Cottenera Lines. Evidence of this can be seen on a neighbouring street where a French cannon ball remains embedded in the wall of a house to this day.
…
See Żabbar Redoubt and others like it on our French Invasion & Maltese Rebellion map on our Historical Events pages - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

07/02/2022

ĦAMRIJA TOWER. Ħamrija Tower (Torri tal-Ħamrija), also known as Torri tal-Ħaġra s-Sewda and Torri ta' Rsejjen, was constructed by the Order of St. John on the southwestern coast of Malta overlooking Filfla in 1659 as the twelfth of 13 De Redin Towers. The tower's design follows the pattern of other De Redin Towers, featuring a square base with two floors, a small turret on the roof and an upper floor entrance, originally reached by retractable ladder. Ħamrija Tower was originally armed with a 3-pounder gun and a half-pounder gun. The tower was recently restored by and forms part of the Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Archaeological Park
…
See Ħamrija Tower and others like it on our Order of St. John map on our Military Architecture pages - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

13/01/2022

Long before Malta had any airfields, Kalafrana was opened in Marsaxlokk Bay as a base for the Royal Naval Air Service in 1917, before soon being transferred to the newly-formed Royal Air Force in 1918. RAF Kalafrana was used as a seaplane base, from which anti-submarine, anti-piracy and air-sea rescue operations were conducted. In 1946 the base was transferred to the Royal Navy for use as a general maintenance facility. Kalafrana closed in 1979 with the withdrawal of British forces from Malta and the site is now buried underneath Malta Freeport.

During 1941 a detachment of No.228 Squadron Short Sunderland flying boats from Alexandria were based at RAF Kalafrana. Pictured is Short Sunderland MK.1 L5807 'DQ-R' on fire and sinking following an attack by German Messerschmitt Bf 109s of 7/JG26...
Source: Imperial War Museum Collections..
Hashtags incoming!

11/01/2022

TRYON BATTERY. Tryon Battery was constructed by the British in 1896 at the foot of St. Lazarus Curtain in Valletta to protect the entrance to Grand Harbour. The battery was armed with six 12-pounder quick-firing (QF) guns mounted en-barbette. In addition to the gun emplacements, the battery included covered gun crew shelters, three Maxim machinegun positions, a magazine, a searchlight emplacement and two observation cells. The magazine, searchlight emplacement and observation cells were cut into the rock. Today, the area accommodates many boat houses, but also features artwork of various warships that have visited Grand Harbour over the years. Only two of the gun emplacements remain, as well as some of the ancillary structures.
…
See Tryon Battery and others like it on our British Military Architecture in Malta map - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

05/01/2022

SPINOLA ENTRENCHMENT. Spinola Entrenchment was constructed in 1761 by the Order of St. John as part of their 18th century strategy of resisting an enemy force on the beaches of Malta. The previous strategy employed by the Order was to permit an opponent to land on Malta and for the knights to fall back to the fortified cities. From there, the knights and militias would mount their resistance.

In the 18th century, the strategy shifted and necessitated the construction of coastal batteries, redoubts and entrenchments. The premise behind Spinola Entrenchment and similar entrenchments elsewhere was to turn the whole island into an impregnable fortress. However, only a fraction of the entrenchments originally envisaged were eventually constructed. Today, only a small section of Spinola Entrenchment remains, with the rest destroyed in the construction of Portomaso Marina.
…
See Spinola Entrenchment and others like it on our Order of St. John Military Architecture map - link in bio.
…
Hashtags incoming!

31/12/2021

XLENDI TOWER. Xlendi Tower (Torri tax-Xlendi) was constructed by the Order of St. John in Xlendi Bay (Gozo) as the ninth of ten Lascaris Towers. The tower is rectangular in design and features an entrance on the first floor, accessed by an external flight of stairs. Unlike the earlier Lascaris Towers, Xlendi Tower is equipped with an additional external platform with a sloped base on the seaward side. The tower was originally armed with two 6-pounder guns, and later two 4-pounder guns. During the Second World War, Xlendi Tower was used as an observation post by the Coast Police. The tower was handed over to in 2009 and has since been restored.
…
See Xlendi Tower and others like it on our Order of St. John Military Architecture at www.historicmalta.com/military-architecture
…
Hashtags incoming!

Address

Website

http://www.bastionsandbroadsides.com/links

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Historic Malta posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Videos

We are pleased to announce the launch of our YouTube Channel, where the full video can be viewed - link in bio! #maltafromabove ... TRIQ IL-WIESGĦA TOWER. Triq Il-Wiesgħa Tower (Torri ta' Triq il-Wiesgħa), also known as Mwejġel Tower, was constructed by the Order of St John in 1659 and takes its name from the "wide street" of coastline that it was designed to protect. The tower was built as the ninth of 13 De Redin Towers along the Maltese coastline, of which eight survive today. It features a standard design of a square plan with two floors and a turret. Following decades of decay, the tower was restored in the 1930s and modified extensively in the lead up to the Second World War. Unlike other towers of the same design, the structure survived the war as it was not in the line of fire of nearby Fort Leonardo. After further degradation, restoration was once again carried out between 2008-2009 by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and features that were removed prior to World War 2, including the turret and parapet, were replaced. Also featured are a British Second World War defence post directly behind Triq Il-Wiesgħa Tower and a searchlight emplacement further along the coast, which would have illuminated targets for the guns of Fort Leonardo, located on the hillside behind the tower. … See Triq Il-Wiesgħa Tower and others like it on our Order of St. John in Malta map on our Military Architecture pages - link in bio. … Hashtags incoming! #triqilwiesghatower #watchtower #deredintowers #zabbar #xghajra #marsaskala #orderofstjohn #architecture #militaryarchitecture #militaryengineering #maltaarchitecture #history #militaryhistory #maltahistory #malta #maltaphotography #maltagram #maltalovers #maltaisland #maltalove #maltatravel #lovemalta #visitmalta #travelphotography #travel #travelgram #travelblogger

Shortcuts

Address
Alerts
Contact The Business
Videos
Claim ownership or report listing
Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?

Country:

City: