Saluting Battery, Artillery battery in Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta, Malta
Saluting Battery is a military fortification with eight bronze cannons positioned on a stone platform within Upper Barrakka Gardens. From this vantage point, visitors look out across the waters of Grand Harbour and its surrounding landscape.
This fortification was built in 1566 on the site of an earlier Ottoman position and served Malta's defense for centuries. It remained operational until the departure of British forces in 1954.
The noon and four o'clock cannon firings connect this place to maritime traditions and daily rhythms of the harbor. Visitors witness a ceremony that has anchored itself in the life of the city for generations.
The site is accessible from the Upper Barrakka Gardens and can be easily reached on foot with good visibility throughout the day. Wear sturdy shoes and watch your footing on the stone platform, especially when wind is strong.
Beneath the battery lies an underground complex that later served as the Lascaris War Rooms for monitoring submarines during the Cold War. Few visitors realize this hidden facility once represented a crucial NATO strategic point.
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