Siege Bell Memorial

The Siege Bell Memorial stands on the bastions above the Grand Harbour in Valletta, Malta, close to Lower Barrakka Gardens. It was unveiled in 1992 to commemorate the Allied servicemen and Maltese civilians who died during the Second World War siege of Malta, a figure given as about 7,000. The memorial consists of a large bronze bell hung within a colonnaded rotunda-style chapel, set in a paved open space facing the harbour. Inside the memorial a stone and a book of remembrance carry the dedication, and carved inscriptions commemorate the defence of the island. Visitors can walk around the structure, read the plaques and look across the water to the Three Cities and the harbour mouth, where the wartime convoys once arrived. The bell is rung at midday on certain days, and visitors who want to hear it should confirm the schedule locally. The memorial is open-air and free, and a visit takes twenty to thirty minutes. It sits on a route that many visitors follow from City Gate through Valletta toward the Barrakka gardens, and about fifteen minutes on foot from the terminus. The quietest times are early morning and late afternoon, when the light is soft across the harbour, and the space is rarely crowded. Photographs work well from the steps in front of the colonnade, framing the bell against the sky and harbour. The memorial is best treated as a place of quiet reflection, so visitors usually keep voices low, and respectful dress is appropriate.