156518 May–11 September 1565 · Grand Harbour, Malta
Great Siege of Malta
A large Ottoman fleet and army besieged the Knights of St John and the Maltese for almost four months. Fort St Elmo fell after a month of bombardment, but Birgu and Senglea held until a Spanish relief force landed. The Knights then built Valletta as a fortified capital, and its bastions, auberges and co-cathedral survive with little change.
Sites
- Site 1: Fort St Angelo, BirguThe Knights' headquarters during the siege, over the Grand Harbour.Map ↗
- Site 2: Fort St Elmo and National War MuseumThe star fort that fell in June 1565, now a museum.Map ↗
- Site 3: St John's Co-Cathedral, VallettaThe Knights' church, with Caravaggio's Beheading of Saint John.Map ↗
Guides who take you there
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Also in Malta
More from the Renaissance & Early Modern
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