St Michaels Bastion

St Michael’s Bastion is one of the three primary bastions on the land front of Valetta.  It is protected to its front by a Counterguard, dry ditch and there is flanking battery facing South along the  moat.

The British referred to a St Michael’s Lower Battery and it is thought that the latter may have referred to the emplacements adjacent to Spencer’s Bastion, and this is listed seperately.

The armament mounted on St Michael’s Bastion in 1861 was:

One 10-inch SB possibly on the apex of the bastion

Three 24-pdr SB guns

Three 24-pdr Carronades presumably in the Orillon Battery

Six 13-inch Mortars, presumably on platforms to the rear of the bastion

As far as is known, St Michael’s Bastion was never upgraded during the RML or Breech Loading Phases of development.