Fort St Angelo

Fort St Angelo occupies the rock at the end of the Birgu peninsula and has been fortified since at least the medieval period, rebuilt by the Knights from 1530 and again in the eighteenth century. It was Jean de Valette's headquarters during the Great Siege of 1565 and the point from which the harbour was controlled. The British held it as a naval establishment, and it now sits restored, with the Order of St John retaining the upper part under agreement.

What you actually see

• The 1565 command post - the fort from which the Great Siege was directed.
• The layered building - medieval, Hospitaller and British work in the same structure.
• The harbour position - the rock commanding the entrance to the Grand Harbour.
• The chapels - the medieval chapel of St Anne and the later religious spaces.

When to go

March to June and September to November are most comfortable. It closes on some weekdays and hours are shorter in winter. Mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

The upper part of the fort is not open to visitors. The climb through the levels is steep with many steps. Interpretation is patchy in places.

Nearby

Birgu is behind it, and Valletta is across the harbour.