As from this weekend Heritage Malta is opening a number of it’s sites for free during the weekends. Today was a good opportunity to visit one of them.
Fort St. Elmo is a star shaped fort which lies at the tip of Valletta. It was erected in 1552 by the Knights of St. John, following fear reports that the Ottomons were preparing a harsh attack on Malta.
In their attack the Ottomans captured the fort after a month of intense fighting. Eventually when the Knights won the Great Seige, they started building a new fortified city which also included a new fort.
Throughout the centuries the fort was altered and additions made to it. During the British rule, the fort went through a number of changes to make up for the military advances of the time. Fort St. Elmo played an important role during World War 2, in defeating the Italian and German enemies.
The fort also houses the National War Museum with a huge variety of artefacts dating from way back the Bronze Age of 2500 BC till Malta’s entry into the European Union. Displayed in the war museum is also the George Cross which was awarded to Malta on the 15th April 1942 by King George VI for the gallantry shown. Malta was the first Commonwealth country to receive a bravery award.
The Heritage Sites which are open for free to the public are the following: Fort St Elmo, Fort St Angelo, Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Temples, the Tarxien and Ġgantija temples, and the National Museum of Archaeology. Thumbs up to Heritage Malta for this opportunity.
eman azzopardi 