[1] They are also listed as monuments in Birgu as part the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI).

[2] In 1526, the Order of Saint John sent a commission of 8 knights to inspect the island of Malta, which had been offered to them by Emperor Charles V as a potential base following their loss of Rhodes.

Later on, the entire town began to be surrounded by walls, in a similar style to the Order's earlier defences in Rhodes.

Birgu's fortifications were extensively rebuilt in the 18th century, under the direction of the architect Charles François de Mondion.

The recreational area includes the 18th-century caponier, which was restored and partially reconstructed, as well as the battery at the left extremity of the ditch.

The fortifications consist of (listed going clockwise from Fort St. Angelo to Dockyard Creek): The entire land front is surrounded by a rock-hewn ditch, which also includes a caponier[24] and another battery.