Fort Rinella is Malta’s liveliest museum where history comes to life daily. Built in 1878, this fort is not only a unique remnant of Malta’s recent British colonial past but it is also the world’s first mechanical fort which enabled its small garrison to fire a monstrous 100-ton gun every six minutes. Equipped with a steam-driven hydraulic set-up for the working of its armament this gun could be traversed, depressed and loaded with a one ton shell to fire it up to a distance of eight miles! When visited by Jules Verne in 1889, Fort Rinella was described by the great Frenchman as a marvel of the industrial age which would render Malta safe for ever. Some say that this is the place from where he got the idea of writing his famous novel a ‘Voyage to the Moon’, where a man is stuffed into a large projectile and fired to the moon!
The 100-ton gun was built by Sir William George Armstrong of Newcastle in 1878, originally to equip a new breed of Italian battleships. This caused a stir with Britain which led to the same type of armament being obtained for the safety of Malta and Gibraltar. This gun has a calibre of 17.72-inches (45cm), is 35 feet long and has an overall weight of 156 tons making it the world’s largest ever muzzle-loading cannon. It used a quarter of a ton of gun powder to propel its monster shells up to a maximum range of eight miles. At 3 miles range it could pierce 21-inches of armour!
RE-LIVE HISTROY AT FORT RINELLA - Every afternoon from Monday to Sunday!
Throughout the year, from Monday to Sunday at 14.30hrs sharp, volunteers dressed as late 19th century Victorian soldiers will take visitors on an animated tour around the fort. This tour combines excellent guiding with live and colourful historical re-enacting to provide you with an enjoyable and long lasting experience of your visit. It also offers you an excellent opportunity for memorable picture and video- footage taking.
The tour starts with the firing of an original Victorian cannon (which you can also fire!*). This is followed by a live demonstration of how the fort would have been defended during an attack. The group is then directed into the fort only to be challenged by the sentry guarding the gate! More displays will take place inside the fort including military signalling, firing of rifles, bayonet practice, military cooking and more. Much use of original period equipment and weapons is made throughout this tour.