Fort Rinella was built by the British in Malta in the late 1800s to house an Armstrong 100-ton cannon when the Italian navy launched two battleships which had four of them mounted on each. The Italian navy had become a potential threat to British interests in the Mediterranean and a vital route to India via the Suez Canal.
Fort Rinella was one of two coastal batteries in Malta - the other was in Sliema - that were to house the guns. They were built on two levels and included a magazine, two loading-chambers, an accommodation area and machinery chambers set within an irregular pentagon, surrounded by a deep ditch and enfiladed by three caponiers and a counter-scarp gallery. The fort was completed in 1886.
The 100-ton gun
The 100-ton gun at Fort Rinella arrived from Woolwich to Malta on 10th September 1882. However, it took a few months to ferry it from the Dockyard to Rinella Bay. Once landed, in an extraordinary feat, the gun was manhandled all the way to the fort - it took 100 men three months to complete the mission! The gun was placed into position and was ready for use in January 1884. Given its size, the gun needed a hydraulic system to traverse it and to load it, making Fort Rinella the first battery to have a mechanical-operated gun. In 1906, the gun was declared obsolete without ever having fired a shot in anger.
Fort Rinella Heritage Park
Apart from the obvious interest in the fort, and the massive cannon, visitors can also enjoy daily reenactments showcasing fighting skills and sports from different historic eras. Fort Rinella Heritage Park is a sub-unit of Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna's Heritage Interpretation Group dedicated to mounted military equestrian skills and tactics.
Soldiers of the Queen Museum Exhibition
Fort Rinella now also includes a new permanent museum exhibition focusing on the British Victorian army. Find this exhibition in the soldiers' defensible barrack rooms that run along the fort's gorge. The nine different rooms chart the rapid evolution of a fossilised army into a first-rate battalion that would face Germany during World War One. The display includes hundreds of original and rare Victorian objects, such as uniforms, weapons, equipment, regalia, documents, paintings and photographs, as well as items from the British Army in Malta.
Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna
A unique property of Fort Rinella is the project run by volunteers from Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna - Malta Heritage Trust. Restoration has been underway since 1991 to turn Fort Rinella into a live museum, with aspects of its history brought to life for better appreciation and enjoyment. Fort Rinella is Malta’s only historic fort that is open to the public and one which offers daily reenactments. Support Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna to help continue preserving Maltese heritage.