Fort Sant'Angelo is a major military fortification in the city of Birgu , Malta .
| Fortress | |
| Fort Sant Angelo | |
|---|---|
| Forti Sant'Anġlu Fortizza Sant'Anġlu | |
 Fort Sant'Angelo and part of the city of Birgu | |
| A country | Malta ( rented by the Order of Malta ) |
| City | Birgu |
| Established | |
| Building | 1530 - 1691 years |
| Status | residence, museum |
| Material | |
| condition | intact |
The exact date of the construction of the fort is unknown, and some researchers date back to the times of the Roman Empire . Later it was rebuilt and strengthened. Its most recent addition is the tower, the current remains of which date back to the 11th century , when Malta was ruled by Arabs .
In the XIV century , when Aragon owned the Maltese archipelago, the fort was called Castello a Mare ( Italian: Castello a Mare ), which means the Castle of the Sea . At the same time, the fort served as the residence of local feudal lords from the Nava clan.
After the hospitaliers arrived on the island, they initially stopped in the city of Birgu and Fort Sant'Angelo became the residence of the Grand Master of the Order. The knights significantly strengthened and increased the military power of the fort, thanks to which in 1565 they managed to withstand a large siege of the island by Turkish troops. Nevertheless, after the siege by the hospitaliers, it was decided to build a more powerful fortress and in 1566 their administrative center moved to Valletta .
That fortress is small, built on a high stone mountain with a lot of skill, all made of white stone with a grave fortress, and there are many cannons in it, great and small. Four battles were made in that fortez to the sea, one of which was higher, and many guns were placed on all of them, over which were laid hefty roofs on stone pillars. The shoots from below in the forte fortune are made predivious, lengthy, and sloping; without any need for those shoots in that fortress you can import guns and all sorts of supplies. That forteza was set against the entrance to the port of Malta, so as to prohibit all enemy ships from entering the haven.
- From the diary of P. A. Tolstoy for 1698 [1]
With the arrival of the British , the fort retained its military significance and was classified as a “ ” and was known as HMS Egmont . In 1912, it was called HMS Egremont , but in 1933 it was renamed to HMS St Angelo .
Since 1998, the fort has been rented for 99 years (until 2097) by the Order of Malta , with the exception of the territory of the military museum.