Castle of St. Angelo, Malta

The Castle of St. Angelo or more commonly known as the Fort St. Angelo is a medieval castle located in a small city of Birgu, Malta. The castle was built before the arrival of the Knights Hospitaller in 1530 and was known as the Castrum Maris (Castle by-the Sea). Afterwards the Castle of St. Angelo became the seat of the Grand Master and was remodelled and reinforced. The castle served as headquarters for the knights, as a citadel for the defences of Birgu.



After it successfully withstood the Siege of Malta in 1565 by the Turks the Knights built the fortified city of Valletta and moved their administrative centre there. After Napoleon Bonaparte captured Malta on his way to Egypt in 1798 he expelled the Knights of Malta. In the 19th century was Malta occupied by the British who used the Castle of St. Angelo for military purposes. From 1912 to 1979 it was used as the headquarters of the Mediterranean Fleet. Today is the Castle of St. Angelo partly opened to the public as a museum, while a part of it was in 1998 returned to the Knights of Malta according to the agreement signed between the Maltese government and the Knights of Malta at the Palace in Valletta.