Fort Ricasoli

Fort Ricasoli was built in the 17th century by the Knights of St. John and it is the largest fort in Malta. The work to build the fort started in 1670 and was completed by 1698. Its original purpose was to safeguard the Grand Harbour along with Fort St. Elmo. It holds a promontory known as Gallows’ Point which was named after the execution of two slaves who tried to escape from the island. Fort Ricasoli has been on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998, as part of the Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta. The Knights built Ricasoli because they feared an Ottoman attack, nevertheless it was also used by other colonizers.  In the late 18th century, Fort Ricasoli fought the French invasion; however, along with other forts it had to surrender to Napoleon. During the Maltese uprising and blockade which lasted two years from 1798 till 1800 the fort remained in the French hands and continuously fired at the Maltese insurgents’ in San Rocco Battery. Between the late 1820s and early 1830s it was used as a naval hospital until the Bighi hospital was opened. During the Cholera epidemic in 1837, patients who contracted the deadly disease were transferred to Ricasoli and were later buried within the nearby Wied Għammieq cemetery. In 1941, during World War 2 the fort was used to defend the Maltese islands from Italian and German attacks as it was equipped with guns which helped repel attacks on the Grand Harbour. In recent years Fort Ricasoli has attracted various film productions as it became a filming location for various films and serials such as the popular films Gladiator, Troy, Agora, and most recent the famous serial Game of Thrones. In collaboration with Kottonera Foundation.