Editing Birgu (section)

==History==
[[File:Feast of St Lawrence in Vittoriosa, Malta, 1927.jpg|thumb|left|Feast of St Lawrence, 10 August 1927]]
[[File:Fort St Angelo in Birgu.jpg|thumb|[[Fort Saint Angelo]]]]

Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, the Angevines, the Aragonese and the [[Knights Hospitaller|Order of Saint John]] all contributed to the development of Birgu.<ref>Gauci,G. Birgu: History and Traditions of a Medieval and Maritime City</ref>

Birgu was part of a town named Birmula. When the order of St John came to Malta they planned to build 3 cities from this land. It started from Senglea, then Vittoriosa and Cospicua. The rest of the land was named Cottonera and it was surrounded with the Cottonera lines.

In the Middle Ages, the islands' communal organisation in this period pitted the [[Mdina]] town-council, or ''Universitas'', against the independent entity centred around the [[Fort St Angelo|''Castrum Maris'']]. Many inhabitants of Birgu, and the neighbouring villages argued that they were not liable to pay taxes to the Mdina town-council, as they fell within ''Castrum Maris'' jurisdiction. For example, this was the case with the inhabitants of [[Żejtun]], who refused to pay the taxes due to the Mdina council in 1473,<ref name="Dalli">{{Harvnb|Dalli|1993|pp=1–12}}</ref> even if as late as 1494 they were expected to take refuge in Mdina, rather than Birgu.<ref name="Mdina">{{Harvnb|Mdina Cathedral Archives|1494|p=Ms. 34, f.110 v.(1494)}}</ref>

After being driven out of Rhodes by the [[Ottoman Empire]], the Order of Saint John were granted Malta as their new home. In 1526, the Order sent a commission made up of eight knights to Malta, representing each of the [[Langue (Knights Hospitaller)|langues]]. They described Birgu as a small defenceless town with old houses in poor condition.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2007-01-10/news/the-auberges-of-france-in-birgu-167442/|last=Zahra|first=Lorenzo A.|title=The Auberges of France in Birgu
|work=[[The Malta Independent]]|date=10 January 2007}}</ref> When they arrived in 1530, they decided to make Birgu the capital city of Malta, since the former capital, [[Mdina]], was inland and did not suit their naval requirements.<ref name="NYT">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/01/magazine/malta-emerges-from-the-waves-of-time.html?pagewanted=4&src=pm|last=Stille|first=Alexander|author-link=Alexander Stille|title=Malta, Emerges From the Waves of Time|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=1 March 1992}}</ref>

The city was fortified in the 1530s and strengthened in the 1550s in preparation for an attack by the Ottoman Empire. This included the construction of the Castle of [[Fort St Angelo|St Angelo]], a large fortification separated from the city by a narrow channel, instead of the ancient ''Castrum Maris''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e7INAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA117|last=Martin|first=Robert Montgomery|author-link=Robert Montgomery Martin|title=The British colonies: their history, extent, condition and resources|publisher=London Printing and Publishing Company|year=1850|page=117}}</ref> The castle was connected to the city by means of a drawbridge.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofwarsocc01giffuoft|quote=vittoriosa.|last=Gifford|first=C. H.|title=History of the wars occasioned by the French Revolution, from the commencement of hostilities in 1792, to the end of 1816|publisher=W. Lewis|year=1817|page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofwarsocc01giffuoft/page/164 164]}}</ref>

Birgu was the site of major battles between the Knights and the Ottoman Empire during the [[Great Siege of Malta]] in 1565. After four months of successful defence by the Knights, the city was almost captured by the Ottoman army in August, but was recaptured by the Knights under Grand Master [[Jean Parisot de Valette]]. Reinforcements from Sicily arrived a month later, and the siege was abandoned by the Ottomans. After this, a new capital city was built on Mount Sceberras, bearing the name [[Valletta]]. In 1571, the Knights transferred their convent and seat to the new capital and Birgu lost some of its importance. Despite this, after the siege, Birgu was given the title ''Città Vittoriosa'', Italian for "victorious city".<ref name="NYT" />

After the [[French occupation of Malta|taking of Malta]] by [[Napoleon]] in 1798, French forces were garrisoned in the city. Soon after the Maltese rebelled and the Grand Harbour area was [[Siege of Malta (1798–1800)|blockaded]] by Maltese rebels aided by Britain, Portugal and Naples. The French eventually capitulated in September 1800, and Malta became a [[Malta Protectorate|British protectorate]]. The Royal Navy's [[Mediterranean Fleet]] established its base in Birgu, and British forces remained stationed in Birgu until 1979.

In 1806, Birgu's gunpowder magazine [[1806 Birgu polverista explosion|exploded]], killing over 200 people.<ref>{{cite web|title=Explosion Polverista Vittoriosa|url=https://www.maltaramc.com/regsurg/rs1800_1809/rmo1806.html|website=Medical Officers of the Malta Garrison|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222050937/http://maltaramc.com/regsurg/rs1800_1809/rmo1806.html|archive-date=22 February 2017|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Birgu was heavily bombed during [[World War II]] due to its proximity to the [[Malta Dockyard]]. A number of historic buildings were destroyed, including the [[Birgu Clock Tower]] and the [[Auberge d'Allemagne, Birgu|Auberge d'Allemagne]].

In recent years, due to an agreement made by the Maltese Government with [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta]], this Catholic Order of Knighthood has returned to the Island. This agreement, which has a duration of 99 years, grants the Knights of Malta the exclusive use of Fort St. Angelo in Birgu.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sovereign Order of Malta - Official Site-The Order and its Institutions-Mission|url=http://www.orderofmalta.org/the-order-and-its-institutions/225/mission/?lang=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100807093745/http://www.orderofmalta.org/the-order-and-its-institutions/225/mission/?lang=en|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-08-07|access-date=2010-01-02}}</ref>