| Fort Ricasoli | |
|---|---|
Forti Rikażli | |
| Kalkara, Malta | |
 View of Fort Ricasoli from Valletta | |
 Map of Fort Ricasoli | |
| Coordinates | 35°53′51″N 14°31′33″E / 35.89750°N 14.52583°E |
| Type | Bastioned fort |
| Area | 83,800 m2 (902,000 sq ft)[1] |
| Height | up to 20 m (66 ft) |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Controlled by | Malta Film Commission Waste Oils Co. Ltd. |
| Open to the public | No |
| Condition | Mostly intact but dilapidated |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1670–1698 |
| Built by | Order of Saint John |
| In use | 1674–1964 |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Battles/wars | French invasion of Malta (1798) Siege of Malta (1798–1800) World War II |
| Events | Froberg mutiny |
Fort Ricasoli (Maltese: Forti Rikażli) is a bastioned fort in Kalkara, Malta, which was built by the Order of Saint John between 1670 and 1698. The fort occupies a promontory known as Gallows' Point and the north shore of Rinella Bay, commanding the entrance to the Grand Harbour along with Fort Saint Elmo. It is the largest fort in Malta and has been on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998, as part of the Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta.[2]
Fort Ricasoli saw use during the French invasion of Malta in 1798 and the subsequent Maltese insurrection, after which it ended up in British hands. Ricasoli was the site of the Froberg mutiny in 1807, and was also used as a military hospital during the 19th century. It saw use once again in World War II, when parts of it were destroyed by aerial bombardment. After it was decommissioned in the 1960s, the fort was used for industrial purposes. Today, the fort remains mostly intact but in a dilapidated state, and it is used as a filming location and a tank cleaning facility. Plans to restore the fort were approved in June 2019.
- ^ "The American University of Malta – Preliminary Alternative Sites Evaluation Report" (PDF). Office of the Prime Minister. August 2015. p. 8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 November 2015.
- ^ "Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta". UNESCO Tentative List. Retrieved 15 July 2015.