Birgu – Past and Present

In my last post I suggested that Malta, and Birgu in particular, have played a major role in the history of the Mediterranean.  In today’s post I will explore a bit more of that history, to give a bit of context for future posts.

Birgu is the oldest population centre on the shores of the Grand Harbour, and was shaped throughout its early history by the seafaring nations of the Mediterranean, including the Phoenicians and Greeks.   Archaeological evidence also points to the existence of a Roman Temple at the end of the Birgu peninsula.  Furthermore, it is believed that the apostle Paul was shipwrecked in the north of the island on his way to Rome, and tradition has it that his evangelism led directly to the establishment of Christianity in Malta within the first century AD.

Following the split of the Roman Empire into western (Roman) and eastern (Byzantine) halves, Malta remained under Byzantine influence until the late ninth century.  From 870 to 1090, however, the islands were occupied by Arab forces. Although they were later expelled, the influence of the Arabs was profound, and remains significant to this day: Arabic is the base of the Maltese language.

During the early medieval period, Malta was occupied by various Western European powers. Under their rule a fort, Castrum Maris, was built at the end of the Birgu peninsula, to defend the sheltered waters of what is now known as Galley Creek.  Birgu grew as a small town beneath this fort, and developed into Malta’s maritime hub.  Its church, dedicated to St. Lawrence, became the parish church.

The single most important event in the history of Birgu was the arrival of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, a chivalric order of warrior monks and hospitallers that had played an important role during the Crusades.   The Knights were expelled from the Norman Kingdom of Jerusalem by the Ottomans, and after a temporary stay in Rhodes they were granted Malta in 1530 by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, in exchange for an annual rent of one Maltese falcon.

After arriving in Malta, the Knights made Birgu the de facto capital of Malta. They rebuilt Castrum Maris as Fort St. Angelo, making it their military headquarters. Galley Creek was requisitioned as a harbour for their navy.  In the city they built a hospital and eight auberges or hostels, and the Church of St. Lawrence was commandeered as their Conventual church.  Importantly, the Knights strengthened the landward defenses of the city, building bastions and defensive walls separated by a deep ditch.  

Thirty-five years after their arrival in Birgu, the Knights faced one final attack by the Ottomans.  The Great Siege lasted throughout the hot summer months of 1565.  At that time the fortifications of the city were incomplete, but even so, the Knights were victorious and the Ottomans were driven back.  Birgu was given the name of Città Vittoriosa, or Victorious City, and the lifting of the Great Siege continues to be celebrated annually each September. 

Following this victory the Knights decided they needed a new, better-fortified city, and built Valletta across the Grand Harbour from Birgu. This became their new home, and within a decade the hospital and the auberges had been moved there.

Nevertheless, Birgu retained its importance. The diocesan Bishop had his seat in Birgu, and the Holy Roman Inquisition, which had been established in Malta in 1561, maintained its presence here until 1798.  Galley Creek continued to serve as the main harbour for the Knights’ navy.  Furthermore, the city grew in size as greater numbers of Maltese worked for the Knights, as did the two neighbouring cities of Isla, on the peninsula bounding the far side of Galley Creek, and Bormla, at the head of the creek.

The population of the Three Cities, as they are now known, was kept well defended by the Knights. They continued to strengthen the walls around Birgu well into the 18^thcentury, with the triple defensive gateway of the Couvre Porte added in 1722.  Similar walls were installed at the landward end of Isla, and defensive fortifications, the Santa Margherita Lines, were built around Bormla.

Subsequently additional walls were built that surrounded all three of the cities, named the Cottonera Lines after the Grand Master of the Knights that commissioned them.  To the present day, Birgu, Bormla and Isla are known in Maltese as Il-Kottonera.  The Notre Dame gate, the main gate through the Cottonera Lines, still marks the landward extent of the city of Birgu.

The Knights left Malta suddenly in 1798, choosing exile rather than to fight Napoleon’s attacking navy.  French rule in Malta was short-lived however, and by 1800 the French had been driven out. Malta petitioned to become a British protectorate, a move that led to colonisation and the rapid integration of Malta into the British Empire.

Imperial rule served Il-Kottonera well. Galley Creek retained its importance as a dockyard, and was extended into Bormla to create a dry dock.  Fort St. Angelo was used as the headquarters of the British Royal Navy’s Mediterranean fleet, and a huge bakery, which now houses the Malta Maritime Museum, was built to keep it fed.

Although the British Royal Navy provided large-scale employment for people in Il-Kottonera for almost 200 years, the relationship was less than supportive.  After hardships suffered in World War One, the British Government refused to offer Malta sufficient funding for rebuilding basic infrastructure. The cost of staples soared, leading to the bread riots of 7 June, 1919, during which Wenzu Dyer, a resident of Birgu, was killed by British forces.

World War Two had a devastating impact on Birgu. Not only was the British Royal Navy headquartered in Fort St. Angelo and Galley Creek, but also Malta had significant strategic importance for the Allies’ planned invasion of Italy from the south. Unsurprisingly, Birgu became a major target first for the Italian Air Force and later for the Luftwaffe, an assault often called the Second Great Siege.

During the bombing, local families took refuge in air raid shelters dug out within the defensive walls built by the Knights, as huge parts of the seaward end of the city were destroyed.  Birgu has been described as one of the most heavily bombed cities in Western Europe, and it is incredible that there are still buildings in the city that survived not only from before World War Two but even from before the time of the Knights.

As in other parts of Europe, the two World Wars triggered significant social change in Malta, most especially in Il-Kottonera.  Whilst the country as a whole was awarded the George Cross for its bravery in World War Two, the British government failed to take practical steps to rebuild Birgu and the neighbouring cities.  Families continued to live in makeshift accommodation adjoining the air raid shelters for years.  At the same time, the rights of dockyard workers fell far behind those of Royal Navy employees in the UK.

The ensuing dissatisfaction triggered the rise of the Labour movement in Malta, led by Dom Mintoff, a resident of neighbouring Bormla.  He challenged both the supremacy of the Church in directing Maltese people’s decision-making, and the dominance of the British in Maltese politics, leading eventually to Maltese independence in 1964.

Independence did not, however, remove British influence.  Malta joined the Commonwealth, and a deal was struck by which the British Royal Navy could continue to rent Fort St. Angelo and the dockyards of Galley Creek.  In line with their earlier attitude, the British government failed to pay the full rental and in the end the British Royal Navy left Birgu on 31 March 1979. The day is celebrated annually in Birgu as Freedom Day, and more recently a monument has been installed outside the Church of St. Lawrence.

The departure of the British Royal Navy lead to high levels of unemployment in Il-Kottonera, where recovery from the impact of bomb damage continued to be slow.  Birgu began to be seen as an undesirable neighbourhood, and discrimination against its inhabitants and their traditions became commonplace.

More recently, however, Birgu has enjoyed a period of regeneration. The Maltese Government created a system of directly funded Local Councils in 1993.  In Birgu the same individual has been returned as Mayor since that time, bringing stability to local politics.  Under his leadership, Birgu has drawn in significant external funding to enable the restoration of the city. Additionally several visitor attractions have been opened, mostly under the aegis of Heritage Malta, and Birgu has become an important Maltese tourist destination.

At the same time, the Knights of St. John, now more commonly known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, have returned to Birgu.  In 2001 the Knights agreed a ninety-nine year lease of the upper parts of Fort St. Angelo, including the original Grand Master’s Palace and the Chapel of St. Anne.  The Fort is now the home of a single Knight, who not only acts as custodian of the property but also actively represents the Knights in the ongoing regeneration and restoration of Birgu.

Indeed in Birgu’s central square, four flags can be seen flying:  the flag of the EU, the Maltese flag, the flag of Birgu, and the white cross on a red background that is the emblem of the Knights of St. John.