Heritage Malta lets you experience besieged Vittoriosa
- Heritage Trail on the Great Siege of 1565
- Special opening of the Inquisitor’s Palace
- Grand Masters Pageant in Victoria on Saturday
- Grand Masters Pageant a great success
- Experiencing Hospitallier Vittoriosa – Heritage Malta
- Crowds throng museums during the Birgu Fest
- Reduced entrance fee for Malta’s Maritime Museum and Inquisitor’s Place
- Heritage Malta Museums to open during Birgufest
- Vodafone renews support for Vittoriosa Regatta Club
- New series of Cultural Tours launched by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts
- Heritage Malta Museums to open for Birgu Fest
- Military & Naval aspects of 16th and 17th Century Malta
- Christmas activities at the Inquisitor’s Palace
- Thousands visited Inquisitor’s Palace during Birgufest
- Christmas at the Inquisitors Palace in Vittoriosa
Heritage Malta is organising an evening tour of the surviving landmarks that played an active role in the epic siege of 1565, followed by a lavish BBQ in the courtyard of the Inquisitor’s Palace.
Vittoriosa became the heart of commercial activity of the island after the Order of St. John came up with the idea of making the Maltese islands their new home, after losing the island of Rhodes to the Ottoman Turks. The Maltese islands provided the Order with spacious harbours that could accommodate the Order’s fleet.
Malta being an island and because of its geographical proximity to territory that belonged to the enemy helped the Order to continue waging war against Islamic states and Muslim shiping. While in Malta the Order was always on the alert, and the first years of Malta under the Hospitallers saw many fortifications and bastions being erected.
News started to arrive that the Turks were preparing to besiege the island of Malta. This was confirmed on Friday, the 18th of May 1565 when the Turkish Armada was spotted thirty miles to the south east of Malta
On the 23rd of June, after 38 days of siege Fort St. Elmo fell under the Ottoman’s hands. The Ottomans now turned their aim towards Vittoriosa and Senglea. On the 22nd of July the Ottomans assaulted with canon fires the city of Vittoriosa, but their main target was Fort St. Angelo.
On the 2nd of August the enemy attacked Senglea keeping in mind that after the fall of Senglea they would be able to continue their attack on Vittoriosa. As Senglea was about to fall, the Cavalry from Mdina attacked the Turkish camp in Marsa. Hearing this news the Turks retreated back to their camp. Fighting and especially bombardments continued on Vittoriosa and Senglea especially on Fort St. Michael. On the 8th of September, the Turkish army, low on provisions and moral left the Maltese islands ending a four month siege.
The event will be held on Friday, September the 4th at 7pm at the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa. Tickets costing €15 for adults and €7.50 for children are available from the Inquisitor’s Palace, the National Museum of Fine Arts and the Heritage Malta Head Office in Valletta from the Domvs Romana in Rabat and from the Museum of Archaeology in Gozo.
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