Manoel Island

The Island of Manoel is located in the middle of the Marsamxett Harbour, between Sliema/Gzira on the north shore, and Valletta on the south shore. It is connected to the mainland of Malta by a single bridge, so the only landbound entry is found from Gzira. When walking on the famous bastions of Valletta, one has a spectacular view over the entire island. 

The island became property of Malta in 1570, when is was acquired by the Bishop of Mdina, the then-capital of Malta. It was then called L’Isola del Vescovo, roughly translated as ‘the Bishops Island’.

When in 1592 the plague broke out, the people of Malta needed an isolated place to treat the patients and prevent further spread at the same time. The solution was the quarantine hospital of Lazzaretto, a wooden collection of huts on the island. They were, however, torn down a year later, after the disease had subsided. It was rebuilt as a permanent hospital in 1643 by Grand Master Lascaris to prevent spread of plague and cholera that was on board visiting ships.

The current, and famous, Fort Manoel is a star fort built by Portugese Grad Master António Manoel de Vilhena, hence the name of the Fort and the Island afterwards. It was built as a fortification for the entrance to the Island, since the entrance to the Harbour was so broad it was a weak point in defence. 

Today, the island is mostly used as a place for visitors because of the large amount of historical sites on the island. Also, there is a Yacht Yard that can house up to 350 yachts at the same time for repairworks or to stay the winter. The yacht yard can accommodate yachts and catamarans of up to 50 metres in length and a displacement of 500 tons. The yard offers boat storage, berthing afloat, repairs and complete refits.

The island has also been the backdrop for some famous tv-moments, since it featured in the first season of HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones. It was the location of the first season’s most shocking moment, as it was the picture of the Great Sept of Baelor, where Ned Stark was beheaded.