Birgu, or Cittá Vittoriosa is
one of the oldest city on the
Island, and it played an
important role in the Siege
of Malta in 1565. Birgu was
once a main city and has a
long history of military and
maritime activities. Birgu is
ideally situated for safe
anchorage, and over time it
has developed a very long
history with maritime,
mercantile and military
activities.

Birgu was the site of
major battles between
the Knights and the
Ottoman Empire during
the Great Siege of
Malta in 1565.
After four months of
successful defence by
the Knights, the city
was almost captured
by the Ottoman army
in August, but was
recaptured by the
Knights under Grand
Master Jean Parisot de
Valette.
Reinforcements from
Sicily arrived a month
later, and the siege
was abandoned by the
Ottomans

After this, a new capital city was built on
Mount Sceberras, bearing the name
Valletta. In 1571, the Knights transferred
their convent and seat to the new capital
and Birgu lost some of its importance.
Despite this, after the Siege, Birgu was
given the title Città Vittoriosa, Italian for
"victorious city"

The part of Birgu which faces
Isla, also known as Senglea
(the second of the 'Three
Cities', after Birgu) has been
developed into a yacht marina

MaritimeM
useum
situated
on the
Birgu
Wharf

Restaurant and
steeple of the
maritime museum
of Vittoriosa Birgu

Housed within the
Old Naval bakery,
the Malta
Maritime Museum
charts Malta’s
maritime history
and lore within a
Mediterranean
context

The parish church
of St. Lawrence
was
the Conventual
church of the
Knights of St. John

VittoriosaBirgumarina

View of Senglea from the
Vittoriosa Birgu marina

After the taking of Malta by
Napoleon in 1798, French
forces were garrisoned in the
city.
Soon after the Maltese
rebelled and the Grand
Harbour area was blockaded
by Maltese rebels aided by
Britain, Portugal and Naples.
The French eventually
capitulated in September
1800, and Malta became a
British protectorate.
The Royal Navy's
Mediterranean Fleet
established its base in Birgu,
and British forces remained
stationed in Birgu until 1979

Malta can compete with
Rome on the number of
religious buildings per square
mile.
As a Roman Catholic
country, niches are very
common to be found at the
front of most Maltese homes,
especially older ones

St. Scholastica's is the
church of a convent of
Benedictine nuns which is
lodged in the hospital which
the Knights built soon after
their arrival to comply with
their obligation of housing
and helping pilgrims. The
church was designed by
Lorenzo Gafà in 1679.
Mattia Preti painted The HolyThe Holy
Family with St AnneFamily with St Anne at the
nunnery of Santa Scolastica,,
consi-dered as one of Mattia
Preti’s most outstanding
works

MattiaPreti(1613-!699)
TheHolyFamilywithStAnne

In Maltese the knockers are also know as il-Habbata and they
are very beautiful, unusual and elaborate and can be described
as truly works of art

Birgu, or Cittá Vittoriosa is one
of the oldest city on the Island

Hibiscus rosa sinensis is a common flower found in many parts
of the world

ChurchoftheAnnunciationandPrioryoftheDominicanFriars

EmvinCremona(1919–1987)
TheAnnunciationoftheVirginMary
ThemainaltarpieceofIl-LunzjataAnnunciationchurch1959

Annunciation church

Annunciation church inaugurated 1960
This is another beautiful and large church built in conjunction with the convent serving the Dominican community in Birgu. There was
another much more beautiful than this one which unfortunately was lost in World War II on Sunday 19th January 1941 and the
Dominicans including the Maltese lost a jewel and a treasure

Inquisitor's Palace

Inquisitor’sPalace: TheInquisitor'sPalacewastheseatoftheInquisition
inMaltafrom1571to1798.ThePalacehasnowbeenconvertedintoa
museumbutbefore,ithaditsownchapel,libraryandrooms

Adelfa
(Nerium Oleander)

The term Cottonera is synonymous with the Three Cities

Advanced gate- the second of the three main gates, located on the right face of St. John Bastion
Birgu had four city gates, three of which still survive

The fortifications of Birgu are a
series of defensive walls and
other fortifications which sur-
round the city.
The first fortification to be built
was Fort Saint Angelo in the
Middle Ages, and the majority
of the fortifications were built
between the 16th and 18th
centuries by the Order of Saint
John.
Most of the fortifications
remain largely intact today.

Birgu's fortifications have
been on Malta's tentative list
of UNESCO World Heritage
Sites since 1998, as part of
the Knights' Fortifications
around the Harbours of Malta

Couvre Porte Counterguard – a pentagonal counterguard built to protect St. John Bastion. It
was built during the reign of Antoine de Paule, and was modified in the 18th and 19th
centuries. The British developed its casemates into a barracks, which now houses the Malta
at War Museum
The Couvre Porte counterguard in Vittoriosa is to be restored to its former glory and will once
again become an imposing structure
Scars of War

Text: Internet
Pictures: Sanda Foişoreanu
Internet
All copyrights belong to their respective owners
Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu
https://plus.google.com/+SandaMichaela
Sound: Mary Spiteri - Ghalxejn; Thema 79
2017