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Fort Manoel has stood proudly overlooking Marsamxett Harbour as a monument to Malta's baroque military architecture since the early 18th century, yet few have had the opportunity to set foot inside this impressive fortress. As restoration works on this important landmark have now reached an advanced stage, MIDI plc, the consortium responsible for the restoration, hosted an open weekend recently in order to give the general public an opportunity to view the first phase of the restoration.
Fort Manoel was built by the Knights of St John to protect Valletta's north-facing bastions from artillery fire from the 'isoletto' in Marsamxetto Harbour. The first stone was laid in 1723 under the patronage of Portuguese Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena and the supervision of world-famous engineer Francois de Mondion, who would eventually be buried in the fort's crypt.
While its defining characteristics survived the ravages of time, over the centuries Fort Manoel fell into disrepair, especially following the heavy and extensive aerial bombardment endured during World War II. Further damage was also inflicted during peacetime by vandals and souvenir-hunters, and by the end of the 20th century, a derelict ruin was all that remained of this once proud and imposing fortress.
The Open Weekend was held in early November and comprised tours around Fort Manoel, an exhibition of the fort's history, a series of lectures and a WW2 re-enactment performed by Malta Command, a local living history group that focuses on the Malta regiments that fought during the Second World War.
One of the highlights of this event was a series of lectures about the history of Fort Manoel conducted by some of Malta's top military historians. Such was the demand for these that the auditorium was packed on the day and some people had to be turned away. The consortium has since planned to make a video of the session available to the public.
'During the course of the restoration we received numerous requests from individuals and organizations asking to view the Fort; sometimes these could be accommodated, and sometimes not, as it depended entirely on the state of works at the time. Now that the main structural interventions are complete, there was a short gap before internal works commence and we felt it would be an ideal opportunity to open the Fort up to those interested in viewing it. We also took the opportunity to invite classes of children from over 50 local schools, some of whom are planning lessons and projects on the subject of restoration. The added awareness that events like this create can only help the future of the many other historic sites and forts all over the island that are still in desperate need of repair.' explained Midi CEO, Ben Muscat.
The revitalization of Fort Manoel is part of an extensive multi-million Euro restoration project undertaken on both Manoel Island and Tigne Point by Midi plc.
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