Vittoriosa: Fortifications, Museums and Maritime History

Vittoriosa opens up Malta’s history through a wide range of subjects: the era of the Order of St John, a historic home turned museum, maritime collections and traces of defence. Its architectural history is also tangible, from a building that occupies an entire city block to a purpose-built defensive structure. You can shape your trip around the historical questions that interest you most.

Order of St John history and panoramic views at Fort St Angelo

After 1530, the Order of St John made Fort St Angelo its headquarters. From there, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of the Grand Harbour and the surrounding fortified cities. The history of the Order and the harbour panorama offer two perspectives: the fort’s historical role and the fortified urban landscape. This approach differs from museums where the subject is explored through collections, film or the history of a building.

A historic home as a museum

The Inquisitor’s Palace was built around the 1530s. This historic home is also a museum and a national ethnography museum. These two aspects bring a distinctive building together with a particular museum perspective. This offers a different thematic approach from exploring a fortification or maritime exhibits, and broadens the view of Malta’s cultural history.

Museums with different perspectives

A visit to the Malta at War Museum includes nine galleries, the original Malta-GC film and an exploration of an extensive underground air-raid shelter. The galleries, film and shelter bring together different ways of engaging with Malta’s wartime history.

The Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu (Vittoriosa) opened in 1992. Its exhibition features artefacts, ship models and historical documents covering Malta’s maritime history over thousands of years, from ancient seafaring to the maritime power struggles of the 20th century. This span of time runs from early seafaring to conflicts in the last century. Check the museum’s current operating status before planning a visit.

Buildings and defensive functions

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, it was abandoned in favour of Bighi in Kalkara. The building’s form and changes in use offer two different clues to its history.

The Couvre Porte, also known as the Birgu Counterguard, had a specific defensive purpose. It was designed to protect the approaches to Birgu’s main gate: the Porta Superiore on the right flank of St John Bastion. It was added during the tenure of Grand Master Antoine de Paul, from 1723 to 1736. The named features and their relationship to one another make the structure’s role in the history of fortifications easier to understand.

Choose the right holiday apartment for your travel interests

When choosing a holiday apartment in Vittoriosa, your trip’s focus can be a good starting point: the history of the Order and fortifications, ethnographic themes, or maritime and wartime collections each offer a different emphasis. If you are travelling with children, films, shelters, ship models and buildings can provide starting points for including everyone’s interests in your plans.

Discover more destinations: Floriana, Sliema, Xlendi, Għasri, Gozo, Sannat, San Lawrenz, Marsalforn

For the broader travel overview: Malta.