Tour Description

In the 18th century, Voltaire had commented ‘rien est plus connu que la siege de Malte’ (nothing is so well known as the Siege of Malta). Few other episodes in the history of warfare have rivalled the Great Siege of 1565 for its heroism, significance and its different aspects. After more than 500 years the story of the impressive victory of the few hundred Knights and Maltese over the huge armada of Suleiman the Magnificent still manages to captivate the imagination. This was another struggle between East and West, between Christianity and Islam. The Knights Hospitallers of the Order of St John were the main protagonists of the story.

The tour relives the sequence of events from the fateful day of 6th October 1564 when Suleiman the Magnificent declared that ‘the phoney war was over to the sighting of the Turkish Armada off the north coast of Malta on the 18th May 1565. The siege, as it evolved until mid-September when finally the Turkish fleet sailed away empty-handed and defeated, will be explained. The various stops on the tour related to this incredible event include salient viewing points in Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa (Birgu), known as the Three Cities. The tour ends in the capital Valletta, and whilst highlighting the Order’s most prestigious monument, the Co-Cathedral of St John’s, an appropriate visit to the Armoury at the Grandmaster’s Palace and the Great Siege Section at the National War Museum in Fort St Elmo will also be included.