Fort Saint Michael

​​Following the 1551 attack by the Ottoman Empire on the Maltese Islands, the Order of St John decided to build a fort on the peninsula which at the time was known as Isola di San Michele. The fortified city of Senglea was later built around the fort. The design of the fort was very similar to that of Fort St Elmo except for a bastioned front and a ravelin. Fort St Michael along with Fort St Angelo and Fort St Elmo was one of the knights’ stronghold in the Grand Harbour during the Great Siege of 1565. The fort withstood 10 attacks from the Ottomans but even though it suffered extensive damages it never fell into the enemy’s hands. Subsequently, Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette gave the title “Civitas Invicta” (the Unconquered City). After the siege, the fort was rebuilt as Saint Michael Cavalier and was completed in 1581. The name of Fort St Michael was affiliated with the landward bastion of St Michael which was also known as the St Michael Battery or the St Michael Cavalier. This was mostly demolished at the end of the 19th Century during the extensions to the dockyard area whilst in 1920 for the construction of a new primary school. During the Second World War, the remainder was severely damaged by aerial bombing thus after the war the ruins were knocked down and the site was turned into a public garden. Today only the outer bastions of Fort St Michael remain to remind us of the fort’s original site and purpose. In collaboration with Kottonera Foundation.​

 

Wara l-attakk tal-1551 mill-Imperu Ottoman fuq il-Gżejjer Maltin, l-Ordni ta’ San Ġwann iddeċieda li jibni forti fil-peniżola li dak iż-żmien kienet magħrufa bħala Isola di San Michele. Il-belt fortifikata tal-Isla nbniet aktar tard madwar il-forti. Id-disinn tal-forti kien simili ħafna għal dak tal-Forti Sant Iermu ħlief għal bastjuni tal-faċċata u ravelin. Il-Forti San Mikiel flimkien mal-Forti Sant’Anġlu u l-Forti Sant’Iermu kien wieħed mill-aqwa fortizzi tal-kavallieri fil-Port il-Kbir matul l-Assedju l-Kbir tal-1565. Il-forti rreżista 10 attakki mill-Imperu Ottoman iżda għalkemm sofra diversi danni estensivi qatt ma waqa’ f’idejn l-għadu. Sussegwentement, il-Gran Mastru Jean Parisot de la Valette ta lill-Isla t-titlu "Civitas Invicta" (il-Belt qatt Mirbuħa). Wara l-assedju l-forti nbena mill-ġdid bħala St Michael Cavalier u tlesta fl-1581. L-isem tal-Forti San Mikiel kien affiljat mal-bastjun tal-art ta’ San Mikiel li kien magħruf ukoll bħala l-Batterija San Mikiel jew St Michael Cavalier. Parti kbira mil-forti twaqqet fl-aħħar tas-Seklu 19 biex tiġi estiża ż-żona tat-tarzna. Fl-1920 twaqqet parti oħra biex tinbena skola primarja ġdida. Matul it-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija, il-kumplament tal-forti ġarrab ħsarat kbar permezz ta' bumbardament mill-ajru u b'hekk wara l-gwerra l-fdalijiet twaqqgħu u s-sit inbidel f'ġnien pubbliku. Illum il-ġurnat mil-forti San Mikiel fadal biss il-bastjuni ta' barra li għandhom l-għan li jfakkruna fl-iskop u sit oriġinali tal-fortizza. B’kollaborazzjoni mal-Fondazzjoni Kottonera.​