| Saluting Battery | |
|---|---|
Batterija tas-Salut | |
| Part of the fortifications of Valletta | |
| Valletta, Malta | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Malta_-_Valletta_-_Pjazza_Kastilja_-_Upper_Barrakka_Gardens_-_Saluting_Battery_01_ies.jpg) The Saluting Battery as seen from the Upper Barrakka Gardens in 2013 | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Saluting_Battery_logo.png){kind=logo} Logo of the Saluting Battery | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:St._Peter_%26_Paul_Bastion_Valletta_map.png) Map of the Saluting Battery within St. Peter & Paul Bastion | |
| Coordinates | 35°53′40.61″N 14°30′44.89″E / 35.8946139°N 14.5124694°E |
| Type | Artillery battery |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Operator | Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna |
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Intact |
| Website | www.salutingbattery.com |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1560s |
| Built by | Order of Saint John British Empire |
| In use | 1560s–1954 |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Battles/wars | Siege of Malta (1798–1800) World War II |
The Saluting Battery (Maltese: Batterija tas-Salut) is an artillery battery in Valletta, Malta. It was constructed in the 16th century by the Order of Saint John, on or near the site of an Ottoman battery from the Great Siege of Malta. The battery forms the lower tier of St. Peter & Paul Bastion of the Valletta Land Front, located below the Upper Barrakka Gardens and overlooking Fort St. Angelo and the rest of the Grand Harbour.
The Saluting Battery was mainly used for firing ceremonial gun salutes and signals marking the opening and closure of the city gates, but it also saw military use during the blockade of 1798–1800 and World War II. The battery remained an active military installation until its guns were removed by the British in 1954. It was restored and opened to the public in the early 21st century, and it is now equipped with eight working replicas of SBBL 32-pounders which fire gun signals daily, Mon - Sat, at 1200 and 1600.