A Historical Compendium

The historical roots of Birgu / Vittoriosa go back to the times of the sea-faring Phoenicians, reputed to be the first settlers on the Island. Because its sheltered location inside Grand Harbour, Birgu became an important maritime city and a hub of naval activity in the years that followed. Birgu reached its glory during the times of the Hospitaller Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem where they set foot for the first time on the Island in 1530. It became the battlefield during the epic siege of Malta by the Ottoman troops of Suleiman, the Magnificent, in 1565, which modern historians describe as the Stalingrad of the sixteenth century. Birgu preceded the foundation and building of Valletta. It was the seat of the Municipal Council, the ecclesiastical Curia and the Inquisition. Impregnable sixteenth century fortifications enhance Birgu’s eloquent charateristics, its culture and its architecture.