Heritage Malta has inaugurated an exhibition at Fort St Angelo which commemorates 40 years since Freedom Day. ‘

Behind Closed Doors’ will reveal intriguing narratives that took place at this military site during its occupation by the Royal Navy between 1906 and 1979.

Aimed to forge an immersive experience, this exhibition will give the opportunity for visitors to ‘enrol’ with the Royal Navy by choosing one of four ranks available.

The exhibition unfolds over five different areas in Fort St Angelo where visitors can explore and discover the history and use of this military building, together with life at the fort during the Royal Navy’s occupation, particularly through re-created areas in the fort such as the dormitory, the bar, and different uniforms used during this period.

While the bigger picture of this exhibition will present the naval use of the fort and the architectural modifications which were done to it to address the necessities of the time, the core of this event will focus on personal recollections.

On March 31, 1979, Fort St Angelo in Vittoriosa was the last military site which saw the departure of the British military forces from the Maltese islands. For many centuries, this fort had always been administered by foreign authorities and, therefore, there was little access to it for Maltese people. With its access strictly prohibited to civilians and with clearly defined spaces where Maltese and British servicemen were allowed to enter according to their work and rank, only a few individuals had ever visited all the areas of the fort. Such experiences, together with a number of personal artefacts which were recently donated to Heritage Malta, will shed light about what happened behind the closed doors of HMS St Angelo during its occupation by the Royal Navy.

The exhibition will remain open to the public until September 8, 2019.