Fort Manoel in Malta

Fort Manoel in Manoel island, Gzira. This fortress is located on an island in Marsamxett Harbour that for many years was cut off from Malta. The fortress was built in the final phase of the Knights' period in Malta, when the fear of corsair and Turkish attacks had greatly diminished.
Originally, the Fort was designed by Engineer de Mondion to offer protection to the northern walls of Valletta. Commissioned in 1723 by Manoel de Vilhena, the Portuguese Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St. John, from whom it gets its name, Fort Manoel was first used for defensive purposes during the French invasion in 1798. The Knights had to withdraw from the fortress, and a French Army garrison led by Napoleon Bonaparte took over. They defended the Fortress for a long time while it was besieged by the Maltese.