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Rome, Troy and Alexandria at Fort Ricasoli

Fort Ricasoli has played more cities than anywhere else in Malta. Rome and part of the Colosseum were built inside it for Gladiator (2000); Troy's streets for Troy (2004); ancient Alexandria for Agora (2009), the biggest set ever built on the island; the siege of Toulon for Napoleon (2023); and a bigger Rome, with a flooded Colosseum, for Gladiator II (2024). Every set was taken down afterwards. The fort is a working backlot and closed to the public, so this corridor is about where to see it from.

⏱️ Half a day · 5 stops

The stops

  1. Fort Ricasoli ⛔ — The backlot itself. Closed to visitors. Gladiator II's set opened for one day, 21 January 2024, then came down.
  2. Fort St Elmo — Across the harbour mouth from Ricasoli, and a filming location of its own (Midnight Express, World War Z).
  3. Valletta / Upper Barrakka Gardens — The terrace over the Grand Harbour, also where to watch for the harbour scenes of Black Eagle (1988).
  4. Fort Manoel — Also used for Gladiator II, and for Assassin's Creed's courtyards.
  5. Fort Delimara — Its tunnels were used for Gladiator II. In the south-east, near Marsaxlokk.

Planning it

Walk from Valletta's Lower or Upper Barrakka Gardens to Fort St Elmo for the view across to Ricasoli, then take a Grand Harbour boat trip, which passes right under its walls.

Most of these places are a long bus ride apart. Our guide to renting a car in Malta covers parking in Valletta, the Gozo ferry and the road rules.

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