Malta Time-Gun Museum

23/04/2026

Do something absolutely unique - become a gunner at the Saluting Battery in Valletta and fire the daily time-gun at noon and evening gun at 16.00hrs besides taking part in full-gun ceremonial gun salutes. Apply: [email protected]

Saluting Battery advertises gunner vacancies

07/04/2026

VACANCY - Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna is looking to employ on full or part-time basis a number of gunners to fire the guns at the Saluting Battery in Valletta during public displays. Employment hours are from 9.30am till 4.30pm. Interested parties are to send their CV by email only: to [email protected]. A valid working permit is necessary.

23/02/2026

29/01/2026

On Tuesday 10 February 2026 at 12.00hrs, a full-gun salute will be fired from the guns of the Saluting Battery in Valletta to mark St. Paul's Day. This annual event will evoke the centuries-old tradition when key religious festivals were marked with artillery fire from the fortresses. This tradition pre-dates the Order of St. John, was interrupted by the Republican French and was resumed by the British until the outbreak of the Second World War. By the mid-19th century artillery salutes were increasingly replaced by petard firing espescially in the case of minor religious festivals. Originally, there were over 100 such occasions on which artillery salutes were requested by the Church but after 1824 these were reduced to 24 to be increased slightly later. Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna has restored this tradition in the early 2000's and as since fired two full-gun salutes on the occasion of St. Paul's Day (10 Feb) and Victory Day (Marija Bambina - 8 Sep). This public event is kindly supported by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Bank of Valletta.

20/01/2026

Due to adverse weather conditions, the Saluting Battery, Malta Time-Gun Museum, Lascaris War Rooms, War H.Q., and St Peter’s Galleries will remain closed today.

29/10/2025

Come and help Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna with this year's olive harvest at Fort Rinella, Kalkara. A free tour will be offered afterwards and will have a chance of seeing the recently inaugurated Guthrie Bridge too. Book a place by sending an email: [email protected]

Next public event free to all old and young - olive picking at Fort Rinella, Kalkara

10/09/2025

NEW ACQUISITION: Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna has acquired an original watercolour painting by the German/Danish painter Charles Fredrick Brockdorff (also Brocktorff)(1775-1850) titled “View of the Governor’s Palace in the City of Valletta, Island of Malta”. The mounted and framed painting measures 61cm x 73cm while the image itself measures 37cm x 55cm.

Brockdorff had fought in the Napoleonic wars as an infantry officer with the forces of the Electorate of Hanover before moving to England after 1809. At about 1810, he settled in Malta where he opened an art studio in Valletta. His business prospered and his four artist sons eventually joined to continue to enrich the family enterprise. Brockdorff painted mainly for travellers visiting Malta and servicemen in the garrison for whom he captured whatever interested them, such as St Johns Co-Cathedral, the Governors’ Palace, the Auberges, the Public Library and magnificent views of the Grand Harbour. He also portrayed various classes of Maltese society for the benefit of English buyers who were curious to know how the Maltese lived. Two albums containing a total of 89 watercolours by Brockdorff are located at the National Library of Malta. One of them collected in around 1829 or 1830 originally belonged to Frederick Ponsonby, Governor of Malta. The other was compiled in around 1849 by Henry Benjamin Hanbury Beaufoy after he had purchased the watercolours from an auction of the contents of Stowe House a Grade I listed country house in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, England originally home to the Temple family. Both albums were acquired by the National Library of Malta in the 1920s, and studies of their contents were published in 2007 and 2008.

On 27th February 1933, this aquarelle was presented along with a small bow fronted chest to Mr Campsie in appreciation of his work provided to the association in the Palace, Malta by Lady Cecilia Fisher on account of the Committee and Naval sub-committee of the SSAFA - Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association, Malta.

This painting was acquired by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna for display at the Malta at War Museum in Valletta on account of the first Malta Time-ball being featured in it (top left corner). A black ball was hoisted daily on the flagstaff of the Palace naval signal station at 11.55hrs to be dropped precisely at noon as the noon-day gun was fired at the saluting Battery. This painting is probably the earliest one to feature this time signal.

This acquisition was made possible through personal donations made by supporters and friends of FWA. Should you wish to make an online contribution please use this link: https://www.wirtartna.org/donate

01/09/2025

NEXT PUBLIC EVENT: Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna - the Malta Heritage Trust will be marking Malta's historic national day with the annual firing of a full-gun salute from the guns at the Saluting Battery in Valetta in the fashion of old. The gun salute will start at 12.00hrs sharp with the firing of the noon-day gun followed by the other guns.

The Otto September (8 September) or Victory Day is Malta's oldest national holiday which marks three main Maltese military victories - the victory over the Turk in 1565, the victory over the French Republic in 1800 and Italy's surrender in 1943. Under the Hospitaller Order it was celebrated with great pomp but was supressed during the French occupation. Under the British it was one of the approved occasions on which gun salutes were fired and since 1921 is has become a truly national holiday unifying the Maltese of all creeds. In the past, on this occasion, a horse race was held in main street Valletta (Republic Street) and foot jousts were held in St. George's Square along with the general illumination of the City and various other celebrations.

FWA has restarted the firing of a full gun salute on this occasion following its restoration of the Saluting Battery assisted by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Bank of Valletta in 2004. Another full gun salute is fired on 10 February - St. Paul's Day which is another old national holiday. These gun salutes are fired not only to mark the two historic occasions but also to recreate the age old tradition of celebrating state and religious occasions with the firing of artillery or petard salutes as was uninterruptedly done in Malta from the Hospitaller period if not before until 1939 with the exception of the just over two years spent under French occupation when these salutes were supressed.

If you want to learn more about the history of gun salutes and the noon day gun in Malta on this occasion also visit the Malta Time-gun Museum located under the Malta Stock exchange on the right before entering the Upper Barracca Gardens. This museum documents the Saluting Battery's history and holds its rich historic collection including various original cannon, uniforms, weapons, instruments and equipment. https://www.wirtartna.org/copy-of-saluting-battery-2

12/08/2025

💥Calling all militaria collectors!💥
The Malta Time-Gun Museum has just been restocked with a large selection of:
🎖Pre-war, wartime and postwar medals, badges and insignia from across the globe
💂‍♀️Hand-painted tin and resin model soldiers
⚔Original uniform kit, headdress and personal effects from the Second World War and beyond
🛩Discounted-price model aircraft from Corgi and Atlas

Don't miss out on getting a little gift for yourself or your history buff loved ones. Find us today at the Malta Time Gun Museum, alongside the Malta Stock Exchange at Castille Square, Valletta!

02/08/2025

New souveniers of the Saluting Battery

The selection of Saluting Battery souveniers keeps growing.... Malta Time-gun (32pr SBBL) boxed models, fridge magnets, key chains and baseball caps in five different colours. You can buy these directly from the Saluting Battery, the Malta Time-gun Museum and from Sasho outside the Upper Barracca. One can also obtain white metal George Cross and Spitfire pin backs and Spitfire key chains.

02/08/2025

The selection of Saluting Battery souveniers keeps growing.... Malta Time-gun (32pr SBBL) boxed models, fridge magnets, key chains and baseball caps in five different colours. You can buy these directly from the Saluting Battery, the Malta Time-gun Museum and from Sasho outside the Upper Barracca. One can also obtain white metal George Cross and Spitfire pin backs and Spitfire key chains.