Malta's strategic location, excellent natural harbour and malleable stone proved to be the staying power of the Knights of the Order of St John who exploited its features. The island owes its unique wealth of fortifications to geography, to the Knights and to the British.

The Order transformed Malta into one large fortress on the volatile border between the two superpowers of the time: the Spanish and Ottoman empires. The Knights, with their eye on aesthetic appeal, brought to Malta the leading military engineers of their day to design the fortifications.

The British commitment to fortification materialised in the early 1870s following the opening of the Suez Canal that gave Malta renewed strategic importance. By this time, the art and science of warfare had changed so much that the British-built defences were altogether different: efficient and impersonal, lacking aesthetic appeal but enjoying technical ingenuity and firepower.

Fortress Malta 360°, out with The Times tomorrow, conveys the breathtaking visual qualities of Malta's military architectural heritage. Enrico Formica's inspired photography shows in sublime format these fortifications in their environs: majestic essays of force countering force, of grace under pressure.

The Miranda 360° Collection is printed by Progress Press, a member of the Allied Group. The issue is printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. FSC is an international, non-profit organisation that promotes the responsible management of the world's forests and helps ensure they will not be destroyed for future generations.

Tomorrow, the price of The Times will increase to €1 from 60c.