Fort St. Elmo
Fort St. Elmo
Fort St. Elmo (St. Elmo’s Place, Valletta) – originally built as a watch tower in 1488 during the Aragonese rule of Malta, the Order of Saint John (Knights of Malta) built it into a full-fledged fort in the mid-16th century to prevent invasions by the Ottomans (who previously raided the island in 1551). In 1565, the Ottomans launched the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. Because of this more elaborate fort, it took 28 days before the Ottomans were able to overcome the Fort’s defenses and defeat the Knights of Malta.
The Fort has seen continuous use over the centuries, right through to World War II and the present day. In 1940, at the start of the War, Italian airmen led the first aerial attack on Malta with Fort St Elmo as the main target. Today, part of Fort St Elmo houses the War Museum with the rest of the Fort serving as the Maltese Police Academy.
Free admission, except for “In Guardia” Parade Days (full scale military re-enactments in period costume – taking place the third Sunday of the months of February, March, April, May, June, October, and November)(this re-enactment portrays military skirmishes between Maltese militia and Napoleon’s army from his invasion of the country in 1798).