What is the construction of a fortress on the island of Malta?
A jewel in the Mediterranean, the island of Malta has a colourful history and became a strategic location for the Knights Hospitaller in the 15th and 17th centuries.
One. The arrival of the Knights Hospitaller
At the beginning of the 15th century, the Knights Hospitaller was a group of devout Christian knights dedicated to providing medical treatment, relief, and the protection of Christian pilgrims.
In its early years, the Order's headquarters were located in Jerusalem, known as the Knights of St. John the Hospital, for its commitment to providing medical care and care to sick pilgrims at the Church of St. John the Baptist.
As the Islamic Empire expanded in the Mediterranean, Jerusalem fell, and the Knights Hospitaller were forced to leave the holy city. They moved successively to Cyprus and Rhodes in search of new bases to continue their mission, where the Order received some power and territory, but they remained under the threat of Islamic forces.
Against this backdrop, the Knights Hospitaller began to seek a new base to ensure their survival and the continuation of their traditions, so they turned their attention to another pearl of the Mediterranean, the island of Malta.
The island of Malta, an island located in the eastern Mediterranean, is valued for its strategic location and natural harbor, the island has been inhabited since ancient times, but in the early Middle Ages it did not become a center for mass settlement, making the island ideal for the Knights Hospitaller looking for a safe stronghold.
The choice of the Knights Hospitaller on the island of Malta was supported by European Christian monarchs, especially the Spanish kings Ferdinando II and Henry VIII, both of whom expressed support for the establishment of the Order on the island, and therefore, in 1530, the Order officially received the approval of Pope Cleen VII to lease the island of Malta as their territory as the new headquarters of the Order.
This marked the beginning of the arrival of the Knights Hospitaller to the island of Malta, which brought new hope and opportunity, and also injected a new chapter into the island's history.
On the island of Malta, they set about building powerful fortresses to ensure the island's security and rival the Islamic Empire, while the Order also began a cultural and religious inheritance, laying the foundation for the island's social development and cultural prosperity.
The history of the Knights Hospitaller's arrival on Malta is not just a simple migration, but a continuation of their mission and an important influence on the landscape of the Mediterranean.
In the coming period, the island of Malta will usher in an even more glorious history, and the Knights Hospitaller will play a pivotal role in this history.
Two. Construction of fortresses on the island of Malta
After the Knights Hospitaller came to the island of Malta, in order to ensure their safety and solid foundation, began large-scale fortress construction.
These fortifications were not only military bases, but also became the political and cultural center of the Knights Hospitaller on the island of Malta, and these magnificent structures remain important historical sites on the island of Malta to this day, witnessing the influence of the Knights Hospitaller in the region.
Valletta Castle (now Valletta), one of the most important fortresses of the Knights Hospitaller was Valletta Castle, later the city of Valletta.
Between 1530 and 1571, the Order began to build fortified walls and fortresses in the area, and Valletta Castle was famous at the time for its outstanding military and architectural work.
Situated on a small peninsula on the east coast of the island of Malta overlooking the spectacular Grand Harbour, Valletta Castle is designed and built with solid walls, pillboxes, watchtowers and cannons that form an impregnable defensive system, and the design and construction of this fortress has attracted engineers and architects from all over Europe.
