| Fort Pembroke | |
| Native Name: | Il-Fortizza ta' Pembroke |
| Partof: | the Victoria Lines |
| Location: | Pembroke, Malta |
| Type: | Polygonal fort |
| Coordinates: | 35.9269°N 14.4811°W |
| Ownership: | Government of Malta |
| Controlledby: | Verdala International School |
| Built: | 1875–1878 |
| Used: | 1878–1978 |
| Builder: | British Empire |
| Materials: | Limestone and concrete |
| Condition: | Intact |
Fort Pembroke (mt|Il-Fortizza ta' Pembroke) is a polygonal fort in Pembroke, Malta. It was built between 1875 and 1878 by the British to defend part of the Victoria Lines. The fort now houses the Verdala International School.[1]
Fort Pembroke was built by the British to defend the Grand Harbour as well as part of the Victoria Lines. The building of the fort was proposed in a defence committee recommendation in 1873, and construction took four years, starting on 24 January 1875 and finishing in December 1878.[2] The fort has an elongated hexagonal shape, surrounded by a ditch and glacis. It contained underground magazines and casemated garrison quarters. It was armed with three RML 11 inch 25 ton guns and one 64-pounder gun, which were mounted en barbette.
By the mid-1890s, the fort's armament became obsolete, and instead of upgrading, the nearby Pembroke Battery was built.[3] The fort became an ammunition depot and storage area for small arms ammunition. Its gate was widened and a fixed metal bridge replaced the original rolling bridge.
In World War II, the fort was used as a prisoner-of-war camp, housing German prisoners.[4]
The British military establishments in Pembroke were closed in 1978 and the limestone-and-concrete fort remained unused for nine years until 1987.
Verdala International School moved to the fort from Fort Verdala in 1987.[5] Since then, the school has grown from 110 students to over 500 in 2024.[6] Due to this increase, the school has expanded to include some barrack blocks close to the fort. The campus is leased by the government to the school until 2072.[7]
The fort was scheduled by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) as a Grade 1 national monument in 1996. The protection status was revised to include the surviving glacis of the fort in 2009.[8]