The Fortunes of Fort Saint Elmo

Fort Saint Elmo has a long and intriguing history. It started off as a simple watchout post built in 1488 but following Ottoman raids it was decided that a major expansion was necessary, and 1552 a huge fort was built. During the 1565 great siege of Malta, Fort Elmo was a site of major battles the fort withstood the siege of the Ottomans for 28 days. After the siege a new fort was built and then modified during the 17th century. Under the British rule the fort was once again modified in the 1800s, remaining use as a military barracks until 1972, presently it holds the National War Museum. #celebrateit #malta #mediterranean #fort