Malta - the Victoria Lines

As well as renaissance structures Malta has quite a number of other fortification scattered around the island, but one is hardly noticed by the tourist, it's the Victoria Lines (wiki) a nineteenth century defensive line running along a major fault line across the island. In splits the potential anding beaches to the north from the populated south and in particular the Grand Harbour.

Attempts are being made to restore it, but the route in places is heavily overgrown. Walk details

We started at the Bingemma Gap and attempted to reach the Bingemma fort, but the route was over-grown, so we turned back earlier than intended (at the point where this photo was taken) and headed east along the lines


Substantial walling through the Bingemma gap, these are only rifle positions the major defenses were the forts dotted along the route where artillery was permanently based.


Section of the lines, showing how a ditch was dug into the slope hiding the defenses.


Walls beyond the Targa gap, where we stopped before Fort Mosta, which is still in military use. To continue involves a long detour so we gave up at this point.


Generally a great days walking, although for us it was overcast and showery.

Valletta and the three cities

A selection of pictures taken over two days. Firstly for a walking tour around the walls of Valletta and secondly on a more showery day round the walls of Senglea and Birgu.

St Angelo & Birgu(Vittoriosa)

Southern walls of Valletta

Looking back

Northern face of Valletta, looking back at St Elmo (sadly closed for restoration)

View north across to Dragutt point

Sanglea

view from Sanglea across to St Angelo

Grand Harbour panorama

Another view of St Angelo from the Dockyard creek

The old entrance to St Angelo

West face of St Angelo (another location closed to the public)

Looking back, there were some very large private yachts berthed here

View from the eastern wall of Birgu across to St Elmo and the Grand Harbour entrance


Finally, there are more pictures in my Google+ album

On the workbench - December 2013

Well November didn't go as planned, I lost two weeks with a bad case of flu and then another two going on holiday to recover.

So this month's task is really to get back on track. Of the November plan only the Cromwells were completed but the Medieval Saracens are well on track. So if all goes well then I might just sneak in a couple of extras after Christmas, as I would really like to get the French in Egypt done and also tidy up my WW2 British infantry.

Valletta - The National War Museum

Hidden away under all the building work at St Elmo the National War Museum is a great place to visit. It covers the two world wars and its strength is in its coverage from a Maltese perspective, for example there were two flotillas of Japanese destroyers based there during WW1. It's quite a cramped space so I only took one photo.

Of course it's the centrepiece the Gloster Sea Gladiator "Faith"

Valletta - Grand Masters Palace & Armoury

Continuing the Malta theme, here are my pictures of the inside of the armoury, if you are into renaissance armour then this is the place to visit. The armoury consists of two rooms one with armour the second with weapons

A representation of a pike block

Cases full of armour

The most expensive suit of armour (centre)

The guns, disappointingly there was no descriptions for them

General view showing the huge variety of pole arms down the far wall.


Upstairs are the state rooms and these were not worth the entrance fee. Compared to the Doge's palace in Venice there were no descriptions of the room content or context and the throne room which has murals of the Great Siege only has access at the ends making them difficult to see properly. The tapestry room had such subdued lighting and could only be viewed from the doorway

Wikipedia link and the official site if they had put the descriptions from this up in the rooms it would have helped

All along the watchtower!

It seemed like every walk we took on Malta contained a watchtower from the period of the Great Seige of 1565.

Here's a useful summary of their development displayed in one of the towers






Several towers are opened to the public and are manned by enthusiatic volunteers. Just up the road from our hotel was one of the more impressive ones, the Red or St Agatha's tower (link).

The interior

Tremendous views from the top



A more typical example


Some more details on the towers from the Military Architecture site:
Wignacourt’s Bastioned Towers
Għajn Ħadid Tower and Aħrax Tower

A 3D reconstruction of the Comino tower on the national Trust of Malta site

He's sneaked off again

Yes, I admit it, the bad dose of flu, the lousy weather and a late deal meant that I took a couple of weeks off painting to visit Malta.

For those interested, in the picture I'm at the Upper Barracca Gardens in Valletta above the Saluting Battery