Fort Delimara

Fort Delimara
Il-Fortizza ta' Delimara
Marsaxlokk, Malta
Casemates of Fort Delimara
Coordinates	35°49′26″N 14°33′27″E / 35.82389°N 14.55750°E / 35.82389; 14.55750
Type	Polygonal fort
Area	24,000 m2 (260,000 sq ft)
Site information
Owner	Government of Malta
Controlled by	Heritage Malta
Open to the public	No
Condition	Intact but in danger of collapse
Site history
Built	1876–1888
Built by	British Empire
In use	1880s–1950s
Materials	Limestone and Concrete

Fort Delimara (Maltese: Il-Fortizza ta' Delimara) is a polygonal fort in Marsaxlokk, Malta. It was built between 1876 and 1888 by the British as part of a chain of fortifications intended to protect Marsaxlokk Harbour. Today, the fort is still intact but is in need of restoration, and is in danger of collapse due to coastal erosion.

The fort was built between 1876 and 1888 by the British. The main gate carries a date of 1881, but this is the date of completion of the gatehouse, not the commissioning of the fort.

Fort Delimara was one of a ring of forts and batteries that protected Marsaxlokk harbour, along with Fort Tas-Silġ at the shoreward end of Delimara point, Fort San Lucian on Kbira point in the middle of Marsaxlokk bay, Fort Benghisa on Benghisa Point, and the Pinto and Ferreti batteries on the shores of Marsaxlokk Bay.

The nearby 17th century Delimara Tower was demolished to clear Fort Delimara's line of fire.

In 1956 the fort was stripped of the majority of its artillery. Soon after, the fort was abandoned for a considerable period, and in 1975 it was leased by the Government of Malta to a local farmer, who used it to raise pigs from 1982 to 2005.

After protracted negotiations, ownership of Fort Delimara was transferred to Heritage Malta on 11 August 2005. The agency pays an annual rent of €764 to the government for the fort. Despite the pigs and a considerable amount of modern debris, the fort still retains four of its original complement of fourteen Victorian 12.5-inch 38 ton rifled muzzle-loading guns mounted on dwarf carriages.

The site is in a derelict condition and is under the responsibility of Heritage Malta. There are plans to restore the fort and open it as a museum, but nothing materialized so far. It is currently not open to the public.