- Type
- Fortress
- Origins
- 1670 · 17th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Malta Xlokk, Malta
- Commissioned by
- Knights Hospitaller
- Coordinates
- 35.8975°, 14.5258°
History
The Order of St John began building the fort on Gallows Point, on the eastern side of the Grand Harbour entrance, in 1670. It was designed by the Italian military engineer Antonio Maurizio Valperga and named after the knight Giovanni Francesco Ricasoli, who paid for part of the work. The fort was completed in 1698. A few years after the British took Malta, in 1807, it saw a bloody mutiny by soldiers of the Froberg Regiment. The British army used the fort until 1964, and it was badly damaged by bombing in the Second World War.
What to see
The fort's sprawling bastions wrap around a promontory washed by the sea on three sides, while a ditch and a Baroque main gate guard the landward approach. It is best seen from Valletta and the Upper Barrakka Gardens, where it marks the harbour entrance. The interior is not regularly open, as the fort serves as a film location – scenes for Gladiator, Troy and Agora were shot here.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q1431801
Popularity: articles about this site in 20 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).