The sound of clashing swords reverberated through Fort Rinella yesterday as fights were re-enacted within the 19th century fortifications.

Children stared open-mouthed and adults gasped as metal struck metal during a spectacular display of swordsmanship organised by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna.

Sword master Daniel Sammut, his son Jacob and Robert Grima, from re-enactment group Show Of Arms, took turns to duel each other, their eyes firmly fixed on each other's swords, even as they cracked jokes which kept the audience in fits of laughter.

The visitors were especially amused when Mr Grima accidentally slipped on the remains of a pumpkin which had earlier been used to show the sharpness of a Prussian sabre.

A wondering white and brown whippet, which ventured too close, had to be chased away out of the reach of the long swords, some of which are so heavy they have to be held with both hands.

Yesterday's event, the first of its kind by the foundation, took people on a journey through the years when the blade was the weapon of choice, evolving from daggers during the Bronze Age and improved during the Iron Ages.

Explaining their development, foundation executive chairman Mario Farrugia said each sword required a particular fighting tactic. As the years rolled on, they became lighter and easier to manage.

They also changed in answer to advances in protection gear. For instance, the development of plate armour during the Middle Ages saw rapiers gaining popularity. Relatively slender and sharply pointed, this particular weapon was meant to penetrate the joints in armoury and was used extensively in Malta during the Great Siege.

Although the invention of the firearm put swords somewhat in the shadows, they remained in use for a long time especially because primitive firearms were dangerous to their users.

Mr Farrugia said military strategists tried to maintain the popularity of swords by reinventing them, and the British Army was still using them at the beginning of the 20th century.