← Explore on the interactive map

Great Siege of Malta

Type Event Region Europe Time 1565

From May to September 1565 Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I besieged the Hospitaller fortresses of St Elmo, St Angelo, and Birgu on Malta;…

Timeline

  1. 1565Fort St Elmo · MaltaAn Ottoman fleet of some 40,000 landed on Malta and first assaulted Fort St Elmo. Though the garrison numbered only a few hundred, it held for over a month, delaying the enemy's advance and buying the Knights time to fortify Birgu and Senglea.
  2. 1565Birgu · MaltaAfter St Elmo fell, the Ottomans concentrated their fire on Fort St Angelo and the peninsulas of Birgu and Senglea. Grand Master La Vallette personally directed the defense at the front line, and citizens and slaves joined in the defense; casualties on both sides were heavy.
  3. 1565Island of Malta · MaltaReinforcements from Sicily and the Knights' fleet arrived, and the Ottomans withdrew as supplies ran out, plague spread, and morale collapsed. The Knights' victory consolidated Malta's position as a Christian frontier bastion, and a new city, Valletta, was later founded to commemorate the battle.

Sources