Fort St Angelo – a large fortification in Vittoriosa (also known as Birgu), in the centre of Grand Harbour.
The date of construction is not known. When the Knights of Malta arrived in 1530, they settled in Birgu,
and Fort St Angelo became the seat of the Grand Master. The Knights made this their primary fortification,
and substantially reinforced and extended it. The fort withstood the Turks during the Great Siege of Malta (1565),
after which the Knights built the fortified city of Valletta on the other side of the harbour, and then relocated there.
By the arrival of the French in 1798, the fort was a very powerful fortification with some 80 guns, 48 of which pointed
towards the entrance of the harbour. During the short two-year French occupation, the fort served as HQ for the French Army.

When the British came to Malta in 1814, the fort retained its importance as a military installation, used first by the Army,
then the Royal Navy, being renamed in 1933 as a ship – HMS St Angelo. During World War II, the fdorty again stood against
siege with an armament of 3 Bofors guns. When the Royal Navy left Malta in 1979, the Fort was handed to the Maltese government,
since when it was fallen into a state of disrepair. It is currently undergoing restoration with EU funds.