Have you ever wondered how guns weighing tens of tons were transferred to Malta’s forts several centuries ago when modes of transport were fairly limited? The Fort Delimara page has shared some fun facts on how this historic endeavour went about!

Anyone visiting Fort Delimara in Marsaxlokk can admire four 38-ton guns out of the six that were in use between 1880 and 1901. These are the only guns of their kind worldwide still on their carriages and in their original casemate emplacements standing where they have been stationed since 1880.

As one can imagine, getting these guns into the fort back in the 19th century was no mean feat. They were received from Britain at the dockyard in Valletta, and transported by ship to the coast at Marsaxlokk. However, to move the massive guns up to the strategically-elevated fort, a road had to be built particularly for this purpose. This road was constructed from sea level to the fort's main gate and can still be seen today. The guns were moved uphill by hand with the use of a wooden platform, rollers, capstans and jacks, with each gun taking almost 3 months to reach the fort!

Two more of these guns, called Rifle Muzzle Loaders (RML), were stationed at Fort St Elmo in Valletta, where the National War Museum can now be found. These arrived at sea near the Jews' Sallyport in Valletta and took a little over a month to reach their place on St Gregory Bastion and St Lazarus battery.

Talk about a heavy haul!

Have you ever noticed the road leading up to Fort Delimara from the sea?