Fort St. Rocco
| Fort Saint Rocco | |
|---|---|
| Forti San Rokku | |
| Kalkara, Malta | |
| Coordinates | 35°53′32.97″N 14°32′16.07″E / 35.8924917°N 14.5377972°E |
| Type | Polygonal fort |
| Area | 21,200 m2 (228,000 sq ft) |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1872–1873 (first fort) 1900 (second fort) |
| Built by | British Empire |
| In use | 1873–1950s |
| Materials | Limestone and concrete |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Fort Saint Rocco (Maltese: Forti Santu Rokku), also known as Fort Saint Roca on some maps, is a polygonal fort in Kalkara, Malta. It is located east of Rinella Battery and seaward of the village of Santu Rokku, and forms part of the complex of shore batteries built by the British to defend the coast east of the mouth of Grand Harbour between the 1870s and 1900s.
The construction of Fort Saint Rocco started in 1872 or 1873 by the British, as part of a program of improvements to Malta's fortifications recommended in Colonel Jervois' Report of 1866 titled "Memorandum with reference to the improvements to the defences of Malta and Gibraltar, rendered necessary by the introduction of Iron Plated Ships and powerful rifled guns".
The fort was built on the site of San Rocco Battery, an artillery battery built by Maltese insurgents during the French blockade of 1798–1800.
Fort Saint Rocco was the first polygonal fort built by the British in Malta, and the second one built in Malta overall (the first was Fort Tigné built by the Order of Saint John). The first fort, built between 1872 and 1873, was very small given the importance of the site. It was initially armed with three RML 11 inch 25 ton guns, but these were soon replaced with RML 12.5 inch 38 ton guns.
In 1888, the fort was inspected and was described as cramped, and some alterations were proposed. Eventually, the keep most of the battery were demolished, and a much larger fort was built in its place in 1900. The new fort was armed with BL 9.2 inch guns.
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