Saluting Battery, Artillery battery in Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta, Malta
Description
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.
History
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.
Culture
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.
Practical
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.
Did you know?
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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Malta combines thousands of years of history with varied coastal landscapes across a compact island area of 122 square miles (316 square kilometers). The capital Valletta contains major structures including the Co-Cathedral of St. John with its Caravaggio paintings, the National Museum of...
Malta contains numerous historical sites and natural landscapes away from the main tourist areas. The islands hold prehistoric temple complexes such as Skorba and Ta' Ħaġrat near Mġarr, Roman remains including the Roman Villa at Żejtun and ancient bath sites, and Ghar Dalam, a cave with Ice Age...
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