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Man has always felt the fundamental need to protect and defend himself, his family and his home by building strong walls around him. For many ancient civilizations, the “walls” and the “city” would mean the same thing and they would often be represented by the same word. For example, the Chinese used the same logogram, - cheng - to represent both the city as well as its walls.

In Malta, the first evidence of human communities protected by walls is from the Bronze Age (c. 1200 B.C.E.), where we find a small number of small villages built on hills which would give a natural defensive advantage to the inhabitants. However, the first truly fortified city is from the Punic-Roman era. This city, known as Melite, was quite large, surrounded by strong walls and towers. Similar to this city, was another in Gozo; however both were abandoned in the centuries following the fall of the Roman Empire and their walls were taken apart, in order to build two, much smaller, medieval towns – Mdina and Castello (the Ċittadella) of Gozo.

The arrival of the Order in Malta in 1530 set in motion a new rapid process of urbanisation in the Grand Harbour and the construction of fortified cities. In two and a half centuries, five fortified maritime cities were built, surrounded by around 25 kilometres of ramparts and bastions – Birgu (Vittoriosa), Isla (Senglea), Valletta, Bormla (Cospicua) and Floriana. During this time, the Knights did not forsake the ancient cities of Malta and Gozo and strived to fortify them with stronger, more modern bastions – these endeavours led to the rebuilding of the two medieval cities.

The reign of the Knights came to an end in 1798 with the invasion of Napoleon and later the British domination. These changes initiated a new reality which changed the Baroque character of the fortified cities in the areas around the Harbour to a more industrial one. As the shipyard industry grew and spread, the bastions were broken down to make space for the docks and the naval installations. The bastions were hidden by the steel structures of a new industrial world – cranes, chimneys, pipes and electricity poles. Many of the gates built in a Baroque style were disassembled or enlarged to facilitate the traffic and the new means of transports. By time, the

cities began losing their unique qualities. This process was accelerated further by the destruction brought during World War II and the subsequent reconstruction. The period following the war spiked economic, industrial and urban activity in the Grand Harbour and the surrounding areas – factors which all changed the environment and life inside the Harbour.

Today, these historic, fortified cities are besieged by these modern developments which have managed to suffocate them. Fortunately, they still enjoy many of their original qualities and the visual impact bestowed on them by the bastions with which they are surrounded. Today, we understand that the architecture of these fortified cities, of the bastions, as well as of the buildings inside the walls, is unique and precious and therefore important not only for our identity and culture as Maltese, but also for our tourism industry.

This publication is intended to celebrate the beautiful and unparalleled qualities of some of these fortified cities in our country and thus foster more appreciation for this unique patrimony.

Islands 1978 – Lithograph – Credit: Norbert Attard

Stephen C. Spiteri Ph.DRestoration Unit within the Works Division

Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs

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Mdina

Mdina, also known as Città Vecchia, is the oldest city in Malta. Mdina is often referred to as the Silent City. However, there was nothing “silent” about it when it was still a lively city in the past, especially in the time before the Knights, when it was the main city of the island. The nobles, the clergy, the artisans and a significant part of the population of Malta, all used to reside in Mdina. The city’s walls provided shelter to all of the island’s inhabitants during the frequent attacks from corsairs.

Mdina was built on a hill, far away from the sea, in a way that, from the bastions and towers surrounding it, any enemy who would dare attack could be clearly visible.

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With the invention of cannons, fortified cities could no longer rely solely on high, straight walls, to resist the destructive force

of these new weapons. A ditch around the walls no longer provided adequate defence. Changes had to

be made in the design of the ramparts and towers surrounding the cities.

The new ramparts, in the form of bastions had now to be thick and sturdy enough to endure the tremendous punishment that could be inflicted by cannon bombardment.

They had also to be sturdy in order to bear the weight of the cannons.

The cannons were placed in embrasures and would

open fire on any enemy besieging the city.

Most probably, Mdina took its current shape during the Byzantine or Arabic period, when the Roman city and the bastions around it were reduced to their present size. In those times the walls used to be built high and straight, so that the enemy won’t be able to clamber up. On the rear side of Mdina, towards North, one may still see the original bastions from the Arab era.

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In Mdina, today, we find the best examples of medieval architecture and building, which still exist in Malta.

Some of the principal medieval buildings, e.g. the Cathedral dedicated to St Paul, were partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. These were dismantled and rebuilt in a Baroque style.

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When the Knights of the Order of St John arrived in Malta in 1530, they only found two defensible sites: Mdina, with its medieval ramparts, and Castrum Maris at the tip of the Birgu peninsula, which later became known as St Angelo. The Knights chose to settle in Birgu, because it was ideally situated and was an exceptional natural harbour. From the beginning, the Knights started to remodel this small village, changing it to a city surrounded by bastions.

Birgu is Malta’s first maritime city. The Knights, by surrounding Birgu with walls and new, sturdy bastions, quickly transformed it from a small suburb around a medieval castle to a Città Nuova (a New City). These bastions were secure enough to resist the fierce Ottoman siege 35 years later. The resistance offered by this city against the Turks’ ferocity earned it the title of Città Vittoriosa – the Victorious City.

Certain designs of the Knights indicate that the Order planned to establish a new city, Città Cottoner, in the area of land between the two lines of bastions; however this plan never bore fruit.

Although this new city was not built, the bastions themselves, and the spaces between them, i.e. the barrel-vaults and casemates, were given to the poor people as housing. In 1798 there were 350 families living in the casemates of the Cottonera bastions.

In 1670, Grand Master Nicola Cotoner initiated the construction of a much bigger new line of fortifications. Their main purpose was to close off all approaches to Bormla, Birgu and Isla. This line of fortifications, in the shape of a semi-circle, is around eight kilometres

v i t t o r i o s aBirgu

A Baroque style gate in the Birgu bastions

Fort St Angelo

W H Y C O T T O N E R A ?

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The construction of a new city on Mount Sceberras, in the years following the Siege, led to the loss of Birgu’s prominence. After the building of the new lines of defence of Firenzuola and Cottonera, this fortress also lost most of its frontline defensive importance. It was only in the 18th century, that Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena ordered the walls and bastions of Birgu to be updated and rebuilt.

The Birgu we see today owes its appearance to the French military engineer Charles François de Mondion. Among other things, he added a main entrance with three gates in a Baroque style and rebuilt the imposing bastions of the Post of Castille, which overlooks Kalkara bay.

long and furnished with 10 large bastions and seven main gates. It was named Cottonera Lines, after the Grand Master who commissioned them.

However, the project proved to be too ambitious, and the system of bastions, as planned by the Italian engineer, Antonio Maurizio Valperga, came to a grinding halt. In 1680, with the death of Cotoner, the building of the bastions had impoverished the order and new Grand Master ordered the work to be stopped.

In the beginning of the 18th century, there was some talk of recommencement, however, by 1724 only a small conversion of San Salvatore Bastion into a small fortress had been undertaken – Fort San Salvatore. The Cottonera Lines were still uncompleted in 1798.

During the British reign, Birgu suffered huge damage when a large gun powder magazine exploded causing a whole bastion overlooking Isla to collapse. Greater destruction was inflicted during the Second World War. The main ditch was transformed into a complex of shelters which were dug in the rocks under the bastions in order to shelter the people of the area from aerial bombing.

Today Birgu is once again being given due attention as the first maritime city of Malta and the fortress which resisted one of the biggest sieges in history.

The Birgu shelters

The Homedes bastion, the first to be built by the Knights in Malta

W H Y C O T T O N E R A ?

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s e n g l e aIsla is the smallest among the Three Cities in the Cottonera. Built on a tongue of land next to Birgu, it was a logical and natural development of the urbanism created by the Knights with their arrival to Malta in 1530. As the population of Birgu grew, the necessity to build another city on Isola di San Giuliano, as it was then known, increased. In the beginning, the Knights would use Isla for hunting and Grand Master Philip de Villiers l’Isle Adam built a large garden full of olive trees.

Later, Grand Master Juan de Homedes added a small palazzo for recreation. Isla wasn’t only built because of the necessities of urbanism, but also because it was too close to Birgu to remain open to any invasion from the enemy.

The Turkish razzia of 1551 when an army under the command of the notorious corsair Dragut Reis, attacked the Grand Harbour, showed clearly that Isla needed some kind of fortification. The next year the Knights quickly built a sturdy tower, called Fort St Michael, to occupy part of the peninsula. Some years later, by order of Grand Master Claude de La Sengle, work started on the building of bastions, so that all of Isla could be transformed into a fortified city. The Italian military engineer Nicolo Bellavanti was in charge of the project.

A view from the Birgu Shore of the bastions surrounding Isla

Isla

Claude de La Sengle The Gardjola

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After the fall of St Elmo, Isla and Birgu were besieged with great vigour by the Turks. Both managed to resist the Ottoman might for three whole months until a relief force, known as Gran Soccorso, arrived from Sicily, on the day still known among the Maltese as Victory Day. In recognition for the courage shown by this city, the Knights bestowed upon it the title of Città Invicta.

After the siege, the Knights re-built the bastions, however as happened to Birgu, attention to Isla diminished as the Order moved to the new city. It was only in late 17th century and early 18th century, that the bastions of Isla were strengthened once again.

The engineer Mederico Blondel was responsible for the construction of the new principle gate of St Anne which was placed in the most central and important place, in accordance with the conventions of the Baroque fortifications. The original gate led to the shore, where today there is the Maċina.

Under the British, Isla saw more changes, especially to its bastions, which unfortunately, were torn down by the Admiralty to make way for the construction of the naval shipyard. Three bastions, a ravelin and the ditch were destroyed, while Fort St Michael was demolished in 1921 to make way for a school.

This new city, which was named Senglea in honour of the Grand Master, was the first city in Malta, before Laparelli’s Valletta, to be planned with a grid iron pattern of streets and houses. When the Turks besieged the island in 1565, works on Senglea’s bastions were still far from complete.

The Gardjola Garden

The Isla entranceway

The iron rings used to secure the cannons to the bastions

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p a s t

A View of theCottonera bastions

Photographs from the past have a yellowish colour as in the 19th century the paper used for the printing of photographs was finished with albumen. The albumen sealed the paper and created a shiny effect.

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The maċina was a form of jib that the Knights placed on the shore bastion in order to install the masts of their ships and vascelli.

p r e s e n tthe Macina.

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Bormla

The first stone of the bastions that were to surround Bormla, known both as Firenzuola Lines and Santa Margerita Lines, was laid on the 30th December 1638. However construction works were suspended soon after, particularly due to lack of funds. Works on the lines resumed almost 70 years later and continued during the reign of Grand Masters Ramon Perellos, Antonio Zondadari and Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. Until 1700 only three bastions from the original design had been constructed. French Engineer Charles François de Mondion was then responsable for the construction of the fortifications as they stand today.

The Firenzuola Lines consisted of seven bastions, two of which were demi-bastions, six curtain walls, three gates and a number of sally-ports which led to the ditch. In the mid-19th century, under the British rule, two of these bastions, St Frederick’s Bastion and St Raphael’s Bastion, were pulled down to make way for the construction of a shipyard.

The French military engineer, de Mondion designed St Helen’s Gate, Bormla’s main gate, which at the time was known as Porta dei Mortari. It is one of the most refined gates in the Baroque style

c o s p i c u aIn the 17th century, the Italian engineer, Fra Vincenzo Maculano de Firenzuola, a Dominican friar, was commissioned by the Order of St John to design a defence system which would tranform Bormla in a fortified city. The aim of such a defence system was to protect Bormla itself and the approaches to the fortifications of Birgu and Isla.

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PICTURE

Entrance to the Verdala Barracks

Amongst them was Franz Joseph Prinz von Hohenzollern, who was a relative of the German Kaiser, brother to the Queen of Portugal and considered a national hero in his country. There was also Karl Donitz, who later in history, during World War II, was head of the U-Boats naval force and later of all German naval forces. Following the death of Adolf Hitler in 1945, he was appointed President of Germany for just 20 days until the country surrendered to the Allies.

In 1722, Grand Master Zondadari conferred the title of Città Cospicua to Bormla for its majestic fortifications. In 1776, the Knights ordered the construction of a dock in Bormla to service their ships of the line. This marked the start of the relationship which Bormla still has with the shipbuilding industry today. It is also the reason why Bormla had been heavily bombed by the enemy during World War II.

During the British rule, no changes were made to the fortifications as built by the Knights. In around the mid-19th century, the St Clement’s Retrenchment was built in order to better control the stretch of land between the existing two lines of fortifications.

Another fort was built nearby, within Bormla. Known as Fort Verdala, it was an addition to the Firenzuola Lines and was mostly used as fortified barracks. During World War I, these barracks housed high ranking German officials taken as war prisoners.

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Valletta and FurjanaThe Order of St John had intended to build a city on the site known as Mount Sceberras long before the actual birth of Valletta in 1566. In 1524 a commission of eight knights sent to Malta by Grand Master l’Isle Adam, had already identified this promontory standing between two natural ports, as the ideal place for a new fortified city – a piazza reale.

Various were the attempts made by the Knights to start constructing the new city but it was after the Great Siege of 1565 that the opportunity presented itself and the necessary resources were made available. The first stone was laid on the 28th March 1566 by Grand Master Jean de Valette.

The Echaugettes, known as Gardjoli in Maltese, are structures of a circular or hexagonal shape that the Knights used to build at strategic points along the bastions so as to guard against enemy assault and to have a view of the ditch immediately below with-out exposing themselves.

Most echaugettes were capped with a dome that would provide the soldier on guard duty with shel-ter. In some places, such as at the Castello at the Ċittadella, echaugettes were built with a flat roof.

The Knights used to decorate the echaugettes with various symbols of watchfulness, namely the eye, the ear and the crane bird. According to historical records, in times of peace, before the 1700s, the echaugettes were used as storage particularly of gunpowder.

Francesco Laparelli

Jean de Valette

Pope Pius V and King Philip II of Spain both showed interest in the project and assisted financially. The Pope also offered the services of Francesco Laparelli, a military engineer who prepared the necessary plans for the new city and its defence system.

When Laparelli left Malta, his assitant Ġlormu Cassar continued his work and prepared the plans for the conventual church of St John, the auberges and the Grand Master’s Palace.

One of the first plans of the French engineers

A modern, artistic impression of Ġlormu Cassar

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Construction works started with great fervour particularly out of fear that the Turkish army would return. Approximately 4,000 workers, most of them brought over from Sicily, worked hard to fashion the bedrock into large, imposing bastions.

From 1566 onwards, Valletta became a focal point of the Island’s defence and all the knights’ fortifications built subsequently, were designed to protect it, and its harbour installations, from landward attack and bombardment from the sea. Amongst these structures was the Furjana enceinte.

FURJANA

Furjana is the city which made up Valletta’s suburb at the time of the Knights. For a long period of time during the 17th century, Furjana was a large stretch of land without buildings except for the convent of the Capuchin Friars, the mall and the gunpowder factory.

The ramparts of Furjana were designed in 1635 by the Italian military engineer Floriani – the architect after whom the city was named. However the bastions took quite a long time to be completed since various other engineers made alterations to the original plans. Valperga added a faussebraye and the crowned-hornwoks in 1670 while de Mondion added a large entrenchment facing Marsamxett. De Mondion was also responsible for the construction of the original Porte des Bombes which consisted of only one gate and was known as Porta dei Cannoni. The British enlarged this gate to its present size in the 19th century. Furjana also had another two large gates – St Anne Gate (Porta dei Cani) and Notre Dame Gate – both have been demolished.

Grand Master Del Monte had ordered the construction of the third gate in Valletta. The gate shown was known as Porta del Monte and was facing directly Fort St Angelo. Later it was renamed Porta Marina and in 1884 it was demolished to make place for the Victoria Gate.

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Cittadella

The Ċittadella, the oldest fortified site in Gozo, is an ancient fortress situated on a hill in the centre of the island. The fortress we see today was mostly built by the Knights in the beginning of the 18th century and took the place of a small castle dating back from medieval times. Parts of the medieval enceinte of this castle can still be seen on the northern side. This medieval castle, evidence for which can be dated to at least 13th century, is thought to have probably developed from the acropolis of a much larger Punic-Roman city which extended far enough to include parts of present day Rabat (Victoria). Today only traces of these ancient walls are still visible. When the Knights arrived in 1530 they found this castle, then known as Gran Castello, a very small structure, round in plan and of little military value and importance.

However, the Knights could not afford to strengthen or rebuild the castle, not even after Dragut’s fierce attack in 1551, when a Turkish army managed to demolish its walls after a brief siege, wherein all the population found sheltering there was carried away into slavery. It was only in 1599 that the Order finally decided to strengthen the castle. Giovanni Rinaldi, an Italian military engineer, was brought to Malta for this purpose and he designed the basis of the plan for the bastions and ramparts we see today.

.

The original plan by Valperga, in which he suggested that Rabat is joined to the Ċittadella. The original plan is at the National Library of Malta.

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The actual work was supervised by the Maltese military engineer Vittorio Cassar, the son of Ġlormu Cassar who had helped Laparelli in the construction of Valletta. The work went on for around 20 years and was completed in 1622.

Albeit the Ċittadella’s new bastions, which had dragged the old castle into the modern gunpowder age, this old fortress still preoccupied the Knights and during the following centuries, several engineers, consulted by the Order, reiterated their advice that the site should be abandoned in favour of a new fortress built closer to the sea.

Antonio Maurizio Valperga, who also planned the Cottonera Lines, suggested that a new fortified wall should be built around the suburb of Rabat so that it is joined to the Ċittadella. However, this area could only protect a quarter of the Gozitan population. Although Valperga’s suggestion was well received by the Order, however, the works could not commence owing to a lack of funds. In 1690, Mederico Blondel continued work on the Ċittadella however the suburb never had a proper defence.

It was only in 1703 that Claude de Colongues built two trench lines from the Ċittadella to the suburb.

However , in 1722 , it was reported that the Ċit tadel la was not effective and the Knights required a new fortress, preferably at Imġarr. However, it was only in 1749, with financial help from the Balì of Chambrai, that work began on the desired new fortress, named Fort Chambrai in honour of the Balì.

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Another project that will help improve the appreciation and understanding of Malta’s unique military architecture heritage is the Fortifications Information centre being set up at Valletta. For this purpose the historic building next to Biagio Steps in Valletta will be transformed into an interactive centre at a cost of €2.5 million. It is projected that, in two years’ time, the building will have been transformed into an important focal point of information about one of Malta’s greatest heritage assets – its Fortifications.

Formerly used as an exam centre, the structure in Marsamxett Harbour was built by the Knights of the Order of St John in the 16th century. Little was known about the building itself, which was probably used as a storage area for merchandise unloaded from ships arriving in the harbour.

The centre will be split into five areas, as seen in the model on the right hand side:

Museum and display areaAn audio-visual area/lecture roomInteractive area for childrenA permanent exhibition on British fortificationsOfficesA section for shops

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In 2007, the Restoration Unit within the Works Division of the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs identified four major sites for restoration, namely Valletta, Birgu, Mdina and the Ċittadella in Gozo.These works are being made possible by means of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This restoration project, worth €36 million, will allow the Maltese government to restore some six kilometres of fortifications.

RESTORATION PROJECTInvesting in the Past for the Future

Project Part-financed by the euroPean unioneuroPean regional develoPment fund

operative Programme i - cohesion Policy 2007-2013investing in competitiveness for a better Quality of life

Project part-financed by the European UnionEuropean Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Co-financing rate: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Fundsinvesting in your future

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Copies of this publication can be obtained from the Department of Information, 3, Castille Place, Valletta VLT 2000.An electronic version of this publication is available on www.doi.gov.mt

Technical Consultation: Stephen C. Spiteri Ph.DProduction: Publications Unit of the Department of InformationPhotos: Photography Section of the Department of Information

Tel. 22001700; website: www.doi.gov.mt; e-mail: info.doi@gov.mtPrinted at the Government Printing Press on Chlorine free paper

© Department of Information - April 2010

operative Programme i - cohesion Policy 2007-2013investing in competitiveness for a better Quality of life

Project part-financed by the European UnionEuropean Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Co-financing rate: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Fundsinvesting in your future

Project Part-financed by the euroPean unioneuroPean regional develoPment fund