Manoel Island (), formerly known as Bishop's Island (, ) or the ''Isolotto'', is a small island which forms part of the municipality of
Gżira
Gżira () is a town in the Eastern Region, Malta, Eastern Region of Malta. It is located between Msida and Sliema, also bordering on Ta' Xbiex. It has a population of 11,699 as of January 2019. The word ''Gżira'' means "island" in Maltese ...
in
Marsamxett Harbour
Marsamxett Harbour (), historically also referred to as Marsamuscetto, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It is located to the north of the larger Grand Harbour. The harbour is generally more dedicated to leisure use than the Grand Ha ...
,
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. It is named after the Portuguese Grand Master
António Manoel de Vilhena, who built
a fort on the island in the 1720s. The island was in turn renamed after the fort.
Geography
Manoel Island is a low, rather flat hill, shaped roughly like a leaf. It is located in the middle of Marsamxett Harbour, with Lazzaretto Creek to its south and Sliema Creek to its north. The island is connected to mainland
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
by a bridge. The whole island can be viewed from the bastions of the capital
Valletta
Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...
.
History
In 1570, the island was acquired by the Cathedral Chapter of
Mdina
Mdina ( ; ), also known by its Italian epithets ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortifications of Mdina, fortified city in the Western Region, Malta, Western Region of Malta which served as the island's former capital, from antiquity ...
and it became the property of the
Bishop of Malta. It was therefore called ''l'Isola del Vescovo'' or il-''Gżira tal-Isqof'' in Maltese (the Bishop's Island).
In 1592, a quarantine hospital known as the
Lazzaretto was built during
an outbreak of the plague. The hospital was made of wooden huts, and it was pulled down a year later after the disease had subsided. In 1643, during the reign of Grandmaster
Lascaris, the
Order of Saint John exchanged the island with the church for some land in
Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...
and built a permanent Lazzaretto in an attempt to control the periodic influx of plague and
cholera
Cholera () is an infection of the small intestine by some Strain (biology), strains of the Bacteria, bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea last ...
on board visiting ships. It was initially used as a quarantine centre where passengers from quarantined ships were taken. The hospital was subsequently improved during the reigns of Grandmasters
Cotoner,
Carafa and
de Vilhena.
Between 1723 and 1733, a new
star fort
A bastion fort or ''trace italienne'' (a phrase derived from non-standard French, meaning 'Italian outline') is a fortification in a style developed during the early modern period in response to the ascendancy of gunpowder weapons such as c ...
was built on the island by the Portuguese Grand Master
António Manoel de Vilhena. The fort was called
Fort Manoel after the Grand Master, and the island was renamed at this point. The fort is considered a typical example of 18th-century military engineering, and its original plans are attributed to René Jacob de Tigné, and are said to have been modified by his friend and colleague
Charles François de Mondion, who is buried in a crypt beneath Fort Manoel. The fort has a magnificent quadrangle, parade ground and arcade, and once housed a baroque chapel dedicated to St.
Anthony of Padua
Anthony of Padua, Order of Friars Minor, OFM, (; ; ) or Anthony of Lisbon (; ; ; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic priest and member of the Order of Friars Minor.
...
, under the direct command of the Order.
In the British period, the Lazzaretto continued to be used and was enlarged during the governorship of Sir
Henry Bouverie in 1837 and 1838. It was briefly used to house troops but was converted back into a hospital in 1871. During the course of the 19th century, some incoming mail was fumigated and disinfected at the Profumo Office of the hospital to prevent the spread of diseases.
During World War II, when Malta was
under siege
''Under Siege'' is a 1992 action thriller film directed by Andrew Davis and written by J. F. Lawton. It stars Steven Seagal (who also produced the film), Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey, and Erika Eleniak. Seagal plays Casey Ryback, a former ...
, Manoel Island and its fort were used as a naval base by the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
's
10th Submarine Flotilla, at which time it was referred to as "HMS Talbot" or "HMS Phœnicia". The
Chapel of St. Anthony was destroyed following a direct hit by
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
bombers in March 1942. The island and the fort remained derelict for many years and Fort Manoel and the Lazzaretto were both vandalized.
Present day
Yacht Marina and Yacht Yard
Manoel Island currently houses a yacht yard and a yacht marina. The yacht marina, which has been under new management since 2011, accommodates vessels up to 80 metres in length and has 350 berths.
The yacht yard can accommodate yachts and catamarans of up to 50 metres in length and a displacement of 500 tons. The yard offers boat storage, berthing afloat, repairs and complete refits.
Duck Village

For several years, Manoel Island housed a quaint, informal sanctuary for
ducks
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...
and other
waterfowl
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...
near the bridge connecting the island with the main island. The sanctuary was created and maintained by a local volunteer, and funded entirely by private donations. The site was demolished in 2021, due to several complaints about unsanitary conditions by residents and activists.
Fireworks Displays
Annual fireworks displays that can be viewed from
Sliema
Sliema ( ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Districts of Malta#Northern Harbour District, Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. ...
are launched from Manoel Island in August each year.
References
{{Malta Islands
Islands of Malta
Uninhabited islands of Malta
Gżira