د . إAEDSRر . س

WATCH: The Largest Fort In Malta Is Falling Apart, And This NGO Wants To Do Something About It

Article Featured Image

Serving as the first bastion of defence to the Grand Harbour for over 300 years, Fort Ricasoli is one of the most popular forts as far as Malta’s history goes. The largest fortification in the country (and one of the largest in all of Europe), Fort Ricasoli has been on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites for the last two decades. Beyond all of that, however, it’s also in a shocking state of dilapidation which might just seal its fate. 

In a video shared by local NGO Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara, some of Fort Ricasoli worst angles were shared online, and it’s not looking too good for the Kalkara historical site. Beyond a state of neglect which has taken over the entire buildings, old abandoned cars dot the entrance and pieces of scrap materials have been thrown everywhere. To add to the sorry scene, an entire part of the fort’s outer bastion has been washed away by the sea, creating an actual cavity in the headland. To some people who were commenting on the video, it looked like a miniature version of the now-fallen Azure Window… with a centuries-old fort sitting on top of it all.

Screen Shot 2018 04 23 At 10 17 08
Screen Shot 2018 04 23 At 10 18 18
Screen Shot 2018 04 23 At 10 22 54
Screen Shot 2018 04 23 At 10 19 01
Screen Shot 2018 04 23 At 10 22 44
Screen Shot 2018 04 23 At 10 23 30
Screen Shot 2018 04 23 At 10 21 22

Fort Ricasoli was decommissioned all the way back in 1960, being used for industrial purposes and as the filming location many Maltese people associate it with. But at this rate, losing one of the island’s most popular filming locations seems to be the tip of the iceberg.

The derelict buildings all around the area seem moments away from being lost forever, but this doesn’t mean no one’s willing to fight for its survival.

“We at Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara are committed to voice our plea,” the NGO said in the video shared last Friday. Within a couple of days, the telling two minute clip garnered over 10,000 views and more than 200 shares. Soon enough, #SaveFortRicasoli was trending.

Last year, a Save Fort Ricasoli petition was launched with the same aim. The petition, which is still active, reached 3,964 of the target 5,000 signatures. “The petition was done so as to start doing some pressure on this issue,” Duncan Brincat said. One year later, here’s hoping this video helps to pile even more pressure.

Screen Shot 2018 04 23 At 11 02 37

Share this post if you agree we need to #SaveFortRicasoli

READ NEXT: Shocking Photos At Ricasoli Spark Online Petition To Safeguard Malta’s Largest Fort

Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).

You may also love

View All