The granaries of Malta, known locally as "Il-Fosos", are networks of subterranean storage chambers historically used to store large quantities of wheat. These structures, primarily located in Valletta, Floriana, Birgu, Senglea, Mdina and Gozo, were crucial in ensuring food security on the Maltese Islands from the medieval period through to the mid-20th century. The Maltese word "Fosos" is plural for "Foss", which in Maltese usually refers to a dry ditch or moat surrounding a fortification, for example, Il-Foss tal-Imdina (the moat surrounding Mdina). The Maltese granaries resemble the subterranean grain pits of Il Piano delle Fosse del grano (or Piano San Rocco) in Cerignola, Italy.
Granaries in Main Gate Street, Birgu The Knights of St John (later called the Knights of Malta) arrived in Malta in 1530, after Emperor Charles V granted them the islands as a fief. Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L’Isle Adam established the Order's first headquarters in Birgu, which quickly became the centre of military and administrative activity. Within this setting, the need for secure food storage was a pressing concern, particularly the safekeeping of imported grain, Malta's staple supply. In 1536, Grand Master Juan de Homedes reorganised the Università or Council of Jurors, dividing it into two municipalities: Mdina and Birgu. The Birgu Università, responsible for the provision of grain for the population of the area, immediately undertook the excavation of six interconnected rock-hewn granaries at 27, Triq il-Mina Kbira, adjacent to the Church of St George, subsequently demolished in the 17th century. Some 500 Rhodians, Catholics of the Byzantine Rite, used this chapel after following the Order to Malta, as remembered by a commemorative plaque. One granary remains visible, covered by a granite block incorporated into the pavement, while the others are concealed beneath the street. Undoubtedly, these silos were beneficial during the Great Siege of 1565.
Granaries in front of St Elmo
Following the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, the Knights of St. John started building a new, heavily fortified city on the other side of the Grand Harbour. Pope Pius V sent his own military engineer, Francesco Laparelli, who designed the city using a grid system to facilitate defence. In 1658, the first granaries in Valletta were excavated near Fort St Elmo to serve as storage facilities for grain that was imported from Sicily. This was in the time of the Grand Master Fra Martin de Redin, who is mainly remembered for the thirteen coastal watchtowers he constructed along the Maltese coastline. Only 39 of the original 70 granaries are still visible, with the remainder having been destroyed to accommodate the road and adjacent building structures. The flask-shaped cavities were cut out of rock and came in different sizes, with a capacity ranging between 50 and 500 tonnes of grain. The smaller ones measured around 4.5 metres in diameter and about 9 metres in depth, featuring narrow cylindrical necks 1 to 2.5 metres in width. The area surrounding the granaries was paved with hard stone to stop rainwater infiltration. At the bottom of each silo, compacted soil laid over the perforated floor acts as a drainage pit. Each reservoir is capped with large circular or square flat stones that would be sealed with pozzolana, a reddish-brown, cement-like material, to preserve dryness and prevent wheat spoilage and protect the food from pests. In 2001, the granaries were scheduled as a Grade 1 monument, the highest degree of protection granted in Malta, indicating their outstanding architectural or historical interest. In 2013, the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands also classified the granaries as a monument of outstanding value.
Granaries at Fort St. Angelo, Birgu
In 1665, the Università excavated another four grain vaults between Fort St Angelo and Birgu, where the former Slaves’ Prison was located. Street names only started being used towards the end of the 18th century, so areas were only known by their nicknames, in this case "Fuq il-Fosos" ("On the pits") Over time, the area experienced significant transformations, and a Latin inscription commemorating the granaries and the names of the Jurats of the Università responsible for their construction was lost. However, it is recorded in Manuscript No. 327 at the National Library and translates to:“During the rule of Grand Master Nicola Cotoner, these granaries were constructed by the Jurats of the University of Grains, John Lagnano, John Leonard Roselli, John Mary
Cardona and Oliver Pontis. The Year of our Lord 1665”The Slaves' Prison had many subterranean cells to confine slaves for the night. Grand Master Pinto ordered the expansion of this jail following a rebellion by slaves in Malta in 1749. After an explosion of the Birgu Gunpowder Magazines in 1806, these prisons were repurposed into residences for displaced residents. After several years, it was discovered that around 400 homeless people were still residing there, but in 1842, they were forced to seek subsidised alternate housing, as the prison was required by the British Navy to be transformed into several workshops. There were some additional grain silos next to a magazine within Fort St Angelo that were used only for emergencies. During the British colonial period, this magazine functioned as a forge for the Royal Engineers. Some granaries at Fort St Angelo and at Cittadella, Gozo were restored.
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