Fort Manoel

Fort Manoel
Forti Manoel
Manoel Island, Gżira, Malta[a]
View of Fort Manoel from the sea
Map of Fort Manoel
Coordinates	35°54′10″N 14°30′19″E / 35.90278°N 14.50528°E / 35.90278; 14.50528
Type	Star fort
Site information
Owner	Government of Malta
Controlled by	MIDI plc
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Intact
Site history
Built	1723–1733[b]
Built by	Order of Saint John
In use	c. 1734–1964
Materials	Limestone
Battles/wars	French invasion of Malta (1798) Siege of Malta (1798–1800) World War II

Fort Manoel (Maltese: Forti Manoel or Fortizza Manoel) is a star fort on Manoel Island in Gżira, Malta. It was built in the 18th century by the Order of Saint John, during the reign of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena, after whom it is named. Fort Manoel is located to the north west of Valletta, and commands Marsamxett Harbour and the anchorage of Sliema Creek. The fort is an example of Baroque architecture, and was designed with both functionality and aesthetics in mind.

After a brief French occupation which began in 1798, the British military took over the fort in 1800, and it remained in their use until 1964. The fort was severely damaged in World War II, but it was restored in the early 21st century and is now in good condition.

Fort Manoel has been on Malta's tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998, as part of the Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta.^[1]

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).