Lascaris Battery, Artillery battery at Grand Harbour waterfront, Valletta, Malta.
Lascaris Battery is an artillery fortification positioned along Valletta's eastern edge overlooking Grand Harbour's entrance. It contains two-story casemate structures with gun positions arranged around an internal parade ground and open galleries.
Built between 1854 and 1856 by British forces, the fortification replaced an earlier garden created by Grand Master Giovanni Paolo Lascaris. Following its completion, it became a key defensive position protecting the harbour.
The site reflects how Malta defended its waters and the central role that harbour fortifications held in the island's survival. The layout shows the strategic thinking that shaped life around Grand Harbour.
Access is best experienced with a guide who can explain the installations and their military purpose. The structures offer good views of the harbour, though steep stairs and narrow passages require some mobility.
In 1868 the original casemates were converted into barracks, a repurposing still visible in their unusual internal layouts today. This change shows how military structures adapted to new needs over time.
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