During the WWII, Malta was under severe attack on a daily basis so, the rulers on the island, the British, needed to create a system of underground tunnels and chambers to defend the island from key points. 150 feet below the Upper Barrakka Gardens and the Saluting Battery in Valletta, the Lascaris War Rooms are now known to be one of Malta’s best kept secrets during WWII.

The chambers housed Britain’s War Head Quarters in Malta and served as the hub for strategic defence and attack throughout the Mediterranean. Because of the huge importance of this tunnel system, it was kept top secret and only shared with elite British troops who needed to know of its exact location as well as its operations room.

Lascaris War Rooms featured an RAF Sector Fighter Control Room; this is where all lookouts observed and controlled the skies for any incoming attacks. A Filter Room, Anti-aircraft Gun Operations Room and other combined operations rooms are also found in this ultra secret complex. Since there were so many chambers, and because people lived and breathed the air in this underground space, it was mechanically ventilated for the safety of the soldiers and officers defending Britain at war.

During the war, the Lascaris War Rooms were used for a number of vital defences and in July 1943, General Eisenhower as well as other commanders and marshals found this location to be an ideal location for planning of the Invasion of Sicily. After the war, the Lascaris War Rooms were dubbed the Mediterranean Fleet HQ and then taken over by NATO to act as a strategic Communication Centre; acting as an interception for Soviet submarines attacking the Med.

In 1977, the War Rooms were closed down and in 2009 Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna began restorations on the cultural wonder of Malta’s past. From war to heritage, a cultural journey that most of Malta’s cultural staples embark on. This best kept secret is now open to the public and definitely worth a visit.

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna