Review by Mr.  Ray Cachia Zammit in the Sunday Times of Malta (22.07.2001)

662 Years in the Evolution of Fortifications 

Fortresses of the Knights is the latest book by Stephen C. Spiteri on the subject of fortifications and their development over time. It is a book that retains all the considerable merits of his previous works; namely a great wealth of architectural and historical information, often compiled from original research by the author himself, and Stephen Spiteri’s splendid drawings that remain unmatched as the most effective medium to explain the subject of fortifications. 

His latest publication, however, displays one additional element that was previously lacking; namely an underlying preoccupation with visual presentation, including the skilful use of colour photographs, fully integrated within the main text. This preoccupation with aesthetics is never allowed to become an end in itself. Despite its many pretty colour pictures, Fortresses of the Knights is a far cry from the typical coffee-table book where ‘content’ is often sacrificed in favour of ‘style’. The book remains essentially a splendid work of architectural and historical research that, however, has been expertly packaged in a more aesthetically pleasing format that further enhances its content.

Fortresses of the Knights is a new and revised version of Fortresses of the Cross first published in 1994 and long since out of print. However, this simple observation should not lead one to the wrong conclusion that it is merely a reprint of the original book. It is much more than this. The text has been abridged (from 476 to 384 pages) and in the process extensively revised, including the addition of new material. The layout has been completely restructured and Stephen Spiteri has even abandoned his original landscape format in favour of the more conventional vertical format that allows for greater flexibility in the use of illustrations within the main text of the book.

The end result is a distinct new product; one that should find its place in the bookshelves of all those who have an interest in fortifications or in the more general subject of the history of Malta and of the Mediterranean. It is a book that will certainly be warmly welcomed by all those who have already enjoyed Fortresses of the Cross as well as by many others who might have found this previous book by Stephen Spiteri somewhat daunting but who will find Fortresses of the Knights to be a more approachable introduction to the appreciation of fortifications within their historical context.

Fortresses of the Knights traces the history of the Knights of St. John through the parallel history of the fortifications that they built; from the castle of Bait Gibrin near Jerusalem, that was handed over to the Knights in 1136, to Fort Tigné in Malta, completed just three years before the expulsion of the Knights from Malta by Napolean in 1798. It is both the history of the Knights from 1136 to 1798 as well as the parallel evolution of fortifications over the same 662 year period.

It is, in fact, the history of the development of fortifications prior to, during and in the aftermath of one of the most significant transformations in the art of warfare, brought about as a result of the introduction of gunpowder, cannon and firearms. These changes were taking place practically everywhere but the fortifications built by the knights in various parts of the Mediterranean provide some of the best examples of the transformation in military architecture that took place over a number of centuries. These are sites which can still be visited today and serve to provide a first hand understanding of the evolution in the design of fortifications. It is enough to mention just four sites, that are covered in detail within the book, to drive home this point.

·        The first is Crac des Chevaliers, in what is today Syria. The Knights occupied this site from 1142 to 1271. It is a towering and imposing medieval fortress that witnessed its heyday well before the appearance of gunpowder.

·        The second is the city of Rhodes that was fortified by the Knights, in a continuous process of development, from 1309 to 1522. This is a walled city with an extensive system of fortifications that was progressively altered in the face of the emerging power of siege artillery.

·        The third is Valletta, built immediately after the Great Siege of 1565 and subsequently strengthened through the construction of an advanced line of fortifications on its landward front, the Floriana Lines, largely built between 1635 and 1715. Valletta and Floriana typify the complexity in the design of fortifications after the coming of age of gunpowder weapons.

·        The fourth site is Fort Tigne, built between 1792 and 1795, primarily to guard the entrance to Marsamxett Harbour. Fort Tigne incorporates a circular tower that is almost reminiscent of medieval fortifications but it also displays a very low profile, counterscarp musketry galleries and a caponier that are a prelude to the way in which the design of fortifications would develop in the nineteenth century.

Fortresses of the Knights is basically divided into 2 parts. Part I provides the historical context and it describes the eventful, forced journey of the Knights of Saint John from the Holy Land and the Latin East, to Cyprus, to Rhodes and the other Dodecanese islands and eventually to Malta. This part of the book also includes a discussion on the principal developments in military architecture over the intervening periods, which developments are analysed with reference to the historical events that are more closely linked to the Knights of St. John.

Part II has been compiled in the form of a ‘gazetteer’ with detailed descriptions of most, if not all, of the fortifications built by the Knights, featured in the same general sequence in which they were built. 137 pages are specifically dedicated to he description and analysis of the fortifications on Malta.

The description of these many sites is supported by what has become Stephen Spiteri’s trademark, namely his excellent drawings that provide a bird’s eye-view of the fortifications that are depicted. Most of these drawings are taken from his earlier publications but a number of them have been retouched and a few drawings are being published for the first time in this particular book. One such drawing depicts a most interesting reconstruction of what the land-front of Mdina probably looked like, prior to the coming of the Knights.

It is interesting to mention that the launching of Fortresses of the Knights has been marked by an exhibition of some of the original drawings made by Stephen Spiteri. These drawings, as reproduced in his books, have long been proof of Stephen Spiteri’s consummate skill at technical drawing. However, to see his original full-size drawings is to realize also his considerable artistic talent. The starting point is an accurate drawing, executed to scale, that must reflect precise technical parameters. However, the execution of these drawings requires some very careful and sensitive pencil work that, in the able hands of Stephen Spiteri, somehow manages to evoke the very ‘soul’ of the fortifications that are depicted and not merely their physical features and technical characteristics. What started off as an exercise in draughtsmanship has been transformed into veritable works of art.

As in his previous publications, Stephen Spiteri complements his drawings with a large number of photographs but this time he has done this much more intelligently and effectively. Fortresses of the Cross contained innumerable small photographs, many of them not particularly well reproduced. In contrast, his latest publication has fewer photographs but these have been more carefully selected and reproduced to a high quality so as to illustrate particular points within the text. A very apt use is made of colour photographs to convey not just the detail of the fortifications that are depicted but also their grandeur. This is also important for, ultimately, the objective should not be merely to transmit a technical understanding of the subject but also to convey a feeling of appreciation for this central aspect of our heritage. This is what Stephen Spiteri has succeeded to do, and with great effect.

In particular, Stephen Spiteri has made very good use of colour photographs to illustrate the fortifications built by the Knights on the Dodecanese islands. Most of these fortifications, outside of the City of Rhodes, are now in ruins and the colour photographs are very effective in evoking the serene and yet intense feeling that these sites today inspire. In contrast, in the section about Malta, Stephen Spiteri has tended to rely much more on black and white photographs, mostly taken in the second half of the nineteenth century, rather than use exclusively contemporary colour photographs. The principal quality of these century old photographs is that they show the fortifications without the alterations that have since been made to them and with much less clutter around them. This makes it that much easier to understand their original form and function.

Inevitably, as one browses through Stephen Spiteri’s book, one becomes acutely aware of the many interventions to which the fortifications of the Knights have been subjected since the departure of the Knights in 1798. Many of these interventions have been the direct result of subsequent developments in military architecture, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Some alterations are the legacy of enemy action during the Second World War. Many other interventions have been induced by demographic factors and, in particular, by the advent of motor transport. Unfortunately, some other interventions can only be attributed to misguided priorities and lack of sensitivity for our built heritage.

Much has been lost but much more remains in place, that needs to be safeguarded. Many cities in other countries have been denuded completely of their original defensive fortifications; Vienna is one of the most striking examples. Few places can boast the same kind of concentration of fortifications that one can still see in Malta. Taking care of this heritage is not a simple matter but the first essential step is for us to understand this heritage, to enable us to explain it to others so that they may also appreciate it.

This is why Stephen Spiteri’s books are so valuable, why his latest publication is so welcome.

Ray Cachia Zammit