The red-bluish rays of the early sun rising over Valletta and Fort Manoel on a cloudy morning.
Fort Manoel was built by the Knights to protect Valletta’s north-facing bastions from artillery action from the Isolotto in Marsamxetto Harbour. The first stone was laid in 1723, under the patronage of Portuguese Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena under the supervision of world famous engineer Mondion. Although the fort’s defining characteristics survived the ravages of time, countless changes were effected over the years to meet the exigencies of military strategies. It also endured numerous direct hits during World War II and was subsequently damaged by a combination of vandalism and neglect.
The restoration works on Fort Manoel are being supervised by aoM Partnership, a firm of architects, civil and structural engineers, entrusted with the lead consultancy of the entire MIDI project. The partnership, led by Maltese architect, Professor Alex Torpiano, consists of the amalgamation of the resources of TBA Periti and Architecture Project.
Over the years, a rectified photographic record of all the buildings within the fort has been compiled. This was followed by a mapping process ‐ which has meticulously detailed all damages, their nature and causes, in order to determine the interventions that were required.
Source: http://www.midimalta.com/restoration-fort-manoel
Location Map for the Fort Manoel:
View Fort Manoel in a larger map