Type Polygonal fort Built 1875–1878 In use 1878–1978 Materials Limestone, Concrete | Condition Intact Built by British Empire Owner Government of Malta | |
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Controlled by Verdala International School Similar Fort Madalena, Fort Mosta, Fort Leonardo, Fort Saint Rocco, Fort Mellieħa | ||
Fort Pembroke (Maltese: Il-Fortizza ta' Pembroke) is a polygonal fort in Pembroke, Malta. It was built between 1875 and 1878 by the British to defend part of the Victoria Lines. The fort now houses the Verdala International School.
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History
Fort Pembroke was built by the British to defend the Grand Harbour as well as part of the Victoria Lines. The building of the fort was proposed in a defence committee recommendation in 1873, and construction started on 24 January 1875 and was finished in December 1878. The fort has an elongated hexagonal shape, surrounded by a ditch and glacis. It contained underground magazines and casemated garrison quarters. It was armed with three RML 11 inch 25 ton guns and one 64-pounder gun, which were mounted en barbette.
By the mid-1890s, the fort's armament became obsolete, and instead of upgrading the armaments, the nearby Pembroke Battery was built. The fort became an ammunition depot and storage area for small arms ammunition. Its gate was widened and a fixed metal bridge replaced the original rolling bridge.
In World War II, the fort was used as a prisoner-of-war camp, housing German prisoners.
The British military establishments in Pembroke were closed in 1978 and the fort remained unused for nine years until 1987.
Present day
Verdala International School moved into the fort in 1987. Since then, the school has grown from 110 to 400 students. Due to this increase, the school has expanded to include some barrack blocks close to the fort. The campus is leased by the government to the school until the year 2072.
The fort was scheduled by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) as a Grade 1 national monument in 1996. The protection status was revised to include the surviving glacis of the fort in 2009.