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Fortifications and Bastions

Malta Fortifications and Bastions

Being a rocky island, Malta gave military engineers the chance to hew fortresses out of the live rock. This gave fortresses tremendous strength, while cutting the ditch around them provided the stone needed to build the fortresses themselves. The men who built these effective war machines were military engineers, being both architects and soldiers. By inviting to Malta the leading experts of their time, the knights were effectively importing the latest in fortress ideas and technology. That is why Malta's fortifications are a unique example of the best the European schools of military architecture had to offer.

The fortification of the city and its surroundings is a master piece of military architecture that took about two centuries. The structure of these massive bastions had passed through a series of modifications that were primary lead due to two main factors. The Turkish empire has been always considered as a serious threat and therefore it was necessary to safeguard the city from being defeated. Moreover, during a span of two centuries the technique of military equipment and efficiency of the gun powder has evolved and this was a deterministic factor that lead towards continuous modifications of the bastions’ design and structure.

The G.M La Vallette who was the sixth one in the series of G.Ms in Malta had gained its due credibility after the Great Siege victory of 1565. His determination and enthusiasm coupled with good networking had yielded a financial backbone which was supported by the King of Spain, the Duke of Firenze, the Vice King of Sicily and Pope Paul IV who had sent his military architect Francesco Laparelli. It was on the 28th of March 1566 that the G.M La Vallette laid the first stone to commemorate the launch of the city of Valletta.

The bastions were designed to fortify the two sides of the coast of the peninsula. The bastions overlooking the three cities stretched from the St.James Cavallier towards St.Elmo fort and were named for St.Peter and Paul, St.Barbara and St.Lazzarus. Whilst St.Sebastian, Salvatore, St Andrews and St.Michael bastions that overlooked Manoel Island started from St.Elmo fort and extend up to St.John Cavallier.

The Order of St.John had to finance this massive project and pay around one thousand five hundred skuds for every day of operation. As a result, the Treasury had issued tokens that were later exchanged after the successor of Pope Paul IV i.e. Pope Paul V had gave a very generous contribution of 35 thousand skuds on the 27th of October 1566. Moreover, Pope Paul V had given his approval so that workers could proceed with their services also on Sundays and on Feast days. As a result his bust was placed on City Gate on July 24, 1892. This bust has now been restored, and is kept inside the local council offices in South Street whilst a replica is found in Great Siege Square.

One month after Francesco Lapparelli left the Maltese Islands the G.M La Vallette passed away. The funeral was held at Vittoriosa Conventual Church on the 29th of August. Just after two days a new G.M from the langue of Italy, Pietro del Monte was assigned to shoulder the responsibilities of the Order. The G.M del Monte continued on the plans of his successor and he had delegated Girolomo Cassar to pursue the works based on the plans submitted and approved by Lapparelli.

The rumours that the Turkish empire was roaming about the coast of Malta in 1571 had triggered anxiety amongst the Knights and as a result the Order had decided to transfer its operations from Birgu to Valletta. This was followed by concessions that were lifted in order to attract the Maltese community to start populating Valletta. As a result, the decision of keeping the Knights territory within the Collachio boundaries was abolished and the Maltese were allowed to build their dwellings within the Collachio area. In line with this decision, the Knights decided to give every langue the responsibilities of administering the various bastions that were erected to safeguard the city.

During the reign of G.M Antoine De Paule in 1630 the Turkish empire had joined forces with the King of Presia so that together they would be able to conquer Europe. This news had turned back the attention towards the fortifications of the island and as a result a military architect Pompeo Floriani was sent to Malta by the Pope on the 1st of September 1635.

Due to the advances in warfare the architect Floriani pointed out several deficiencies in the fortifications. He therefore suggested several changes and he proposed to extend further the bastions from St.John and St.James Cavallier to the city outskirts to Marsa. Moreover, it was decided that the bastions facing Manuel Island requires extensions in depth and height. His suggestions also pointed out that the hill at Cospicue known as St.Margaret needs to be fortified as this was overlooking Valletta. These proposals were approved by the Order and the necessary works was then later followed under the responsibility of another military architect Vincenzo de Firenzuola.

Fortunately enough the Turks did not turned back to Malta, however the Order’s lens was focused on the maneuvers of their enemy and it was because the victory of Crete by the Turks in 1669 that further attention was given to Malta’s fortifications. This time the military architects were French and the professional attribution of Carl Grunenberg, Rene Jacques De Tigne and Charles Francoin De Mondion had strengthened Fort St.Elmo, Fort St. Angelo at Birgu, Fort Ricazoli at Kalkara and Cottonera Lines.

From the 16th century onwards, when the threat of war had subsided to a large degree, monumental architecture predominated through baroque influences. Often, the knights cut corners. For example, to save money, they used soil instead of lime as a binding agent in the construction of ramparts. That is why so many wild plants and sometimes trees grow on the walls.

The fortifications were designed to shield the Island from the enemy however these fortifications were not tested during the following decades because the French army under the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte entered from the most fortified areas without being burdened. This was not due to the deficiencies of the fortifications but because of the decay of the Order of St.John who had not force of resistance. Instead the fortification of Valletta served good for the French army who surrender themselves within the city during the riots of the Maltese against the French occupants in 1800.

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