Fort St Angelo brings Vittoriosa’s history together with panoramic views of the Grand Harbour and the surrounding fortified cities. The museums and historic buildings also offer different perspectives: from the time of the Order of St John to Malta’s maritime history, fortifications and their later uses. You can shape your discoveries around the topics that interest you most.

Fort St Angelo: Order History and Panoramic Views

After 1530, the Order of St John made Fort St Angelo its headquarters. From there, you can enjoy panoramic views of the Grand Harbour and the fortified cities around it. The site therefore combines a specific chapter in the Order’s history with sweeping views of the surrounding area. If you are looking for both historical context and views of the harbour landscape on your trip, you will find both here.

Palace and Museums: Different Perspectives

The Inquisitor’s Palace is a museum in a historic residence and also Malta’s national ethnographic museum. The building was constructed around the 1530s. Here, a historic residential building and its current role as a museum come together; its status as a national ethnographic museum adds a distinct thematic focus to this architectural perspective.

The Malta at War Museum offers a different perspective: a visit includes nine galleries, the original Malta-GC film and the chance to explore an extensive underground air-raid shelter. The Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu (Vittoriosa) opened in 1992. It displays artefacts, ship models and historical documents relating to Malta’s maritime history over thousands of years, from ancient seafaring to the maritime power struggles of the 20th century. If you plan to visit the Maritime Museum, check its current opening hours in advance.

The two museums focus on different topics: the Malta at War Museum explores wartime experiences and shelters, while the Maritime Museum covers Malta’s seafaring history over a long period. You can choose according to whether you are more interested in wartime history or maritime developments.

Defensive Structures and Changing Uses

The Birgu Old Armoury was built in the 1550s. The single-storey building occupies an entire city block. After the British Navy arrived, it was converted into a naval hospital; a few decades later, this use was discontinued in favour of Bighi in Kalkara. The building’s design and history of use therefore offer two different points of interest: its unusual size and its later conversion to a military medical facility.

The Couvre Porte, also called the Birgu Counterguard, was a defensive structure built to protect the approaches to Birgu’s main gate, the Porta Superiore on the right flank of the St John Bastion. It was added during the tenure of Grand Master Antoine de Paul, between 1723 and 1736. Compared with the Birgu Old Armoury’s later use as a hospital, this structure served a different historical purpose: securing an entrance to the city. Together, these named buildings and museums offer insight into different aspects of Vittoriosa’s history without reducing them to the same era or function.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Victoria, Ghanjsielem, Gozo, Swieqi, Mgarr, Ghammar, Qormi, Nadur.

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