The hypothesis of some observers who held that Malta was an unlikely goal and that the real objective of the Muslim army was Italy, appeared quite plausible. Whatever might have been the immediate intentions of Suleiman, what was certain was that after the fall of the Island of St. John he would turn his eyes to the Italian peninsula. The appeals from the Pope were unheard. In the Consistory held on February 23rd 1565, the Pope addressed the Ambassadors with sorrowful words, in order that they could express the gravity of the situation to their respective Sovereigns. This solemn and official exhortation did not give any result and the events precipitated.

A few days later, on the morning of March 22nd, in the main dock of the Golden Horn, Suleiman the Magnificent received homage from the greatest army he had ever put together in his long career as a leader. Before embarking, thousands of men swore royalty until death and in the European capitals some finally began to realize they had underestimated the threat that came from the East.

The details of the imminent attack had been known by Jean Parisot de la Vallette, the 49th Grand Master of the Order, for a long time, though the governments of the Christian powers appeared not to be concerned about the problem. Born in Toulouse in 1494, of an ancient and noble family of Provence, this brave soldier had devoted his life to the ideals of the Order of St. John and was a protagonist of some of the Order's most important events. A very experienced leader, he was considered one of the bravest Captains of his time. He was an attentive and astute politician and had continuous relations with all the European Sovereigns. He did not believe, however, that the project of an alliance among the Christian States against the common enemy, as a radical solution, could ever be possible even though it had been discussed many times. Neither did he believe that anyone would come and help him and his brethren at the moment of danger. He was only 28 years of age when he had lived the dramatic experience of the siege of Rhodes. He believed, at the time, that reinforcements would come from Europe to help the Knights engaged in a battle fought in the name of Christianity, but time passed and no sails appeared on the horizon. Day by day, he saw his brethren dying, a sight that would have a lasting effect upon him. The indifference of the West had mortified bis knightly spirit and made him suspicious of promises. This was the man facing Suleiman.

As he scanned the horizon from Fort St. Elmo the old Grand Master remembered the suffering and the humility, but the victories too, all in the name of the "Sacra Milizia".

View of Fort St. Angelo, centre of Malta's defensive system.

He knew that the battle at which he would spend all his remaining energy would be his last. This belief made him invincible. He had not had time to change Malta into an invincible fortress but he had taken all the necessary precaution to make the conquest of the island as difficult as possible.

Jean Parisot de la Vallette may have had some regrets about the state of the military defence but he was satisfied with his information service.

A long time in advance he had sent some Knights to Costantinopole with the task of furnishing him with continuous reports about Suleiman's decisione and movements. They were real secret agents and had demonstrated their worth not only by obtaining information but also by carrying out surprise attacks.

On January 19th 1565 La Vallette received a dispatch informing him of an attack against the island in the following spring. The long awaited hour was arriving and he ordered the Grand Priors to mobilise all the brethren who were able to fight. He knew he would not receive help and that he had to rely only on his own people. On the morning of May 18th a cannon fired a shot from Fort St. Elmo announcing the arrival of the enemy fleet. On the walls protecting the island there were four hundred and seventy Knights, one thousand six hundred Spanish and Italian mercenaries, five thousand soldiers of the Maltese Militia, one bundred and twenty artillery men and sixty-seven assistants. On the opposite side were, five hundred ships and forty thousand men. Mustapha Pasha led the land forces while admiral Piali Pasha commanded the fleet. The two did not get on well and their disagreement resulted in various advantages for the besieged.

The Turks appeared not to want to waste time. Following a few raids on various parts of the fortifications, they decided to attack St. Elmo. They had thought that with the fall of that stronghold, they would gain possession of the whole island. This was a grave strategic error on their part and they suffered heavy losses. Besides, the fall of St. Elmo would not compromise the Order's defence system as the infidels had imagined it would. From the beginning of the Siege it bad been clear that the Muslims relied heavily on their numbers and the destructive force of their artillery. The bombardment of Fort St. Elmo lasted twenty six days: a continuous rain of fire, interrupted now and then by useless and bloody attempts to scale the walls.

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