On 18 July 1806, approximately 40,000 lb of gunpowder stored in a magazine in Birgu, Malta, mistakenly detonated. The explosion killed an estimated 200 people, including British and Maltese military p
The site of the magazine
Triq il-Vittmi tal-Porvlista, with similar magazines built in the same period still intact or partially intact
Slaves' Prison
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The Slaves' Prison officially known as the Grand Prison and colloquially as the bagnio, was a prison in Valletta, Malta. It was established in the late 16th century, and remained in use as a prison th
1806 Birgu polverista explosion
…claimed damages. A wine merchant named Woodhouse lost a large amount of wine and the government provided him with extensive storehouses at the former Slaves' Prison in Valletta as a compensation. The initial total estimated damage for rebuilding was estimated at £35,000. The affected area became known as l-Imġarraf…
View of the Slaves' Prison on the centre-left
The building as depicted in 1664 from the site of the Nuova Fontana, generally known as the Fountain of Neptune
View of Valletta from the Grand Harbour. The Slaves' Prison stood on the site now occupied by the large block of flats.
Courtyard of flats