Selmun Palace & Fort Campbell

Last Saturday, my husband and I went for a walk in Selmun. The name Selmun is derived from the Salomone family, who owned large tracts of land in this part of Malta in past centuries. This mostly-rural area is located on a hill with unobstructed views of the north-eastern part of Malta and stretching all the way to Mdina in the west. Selmun Palace and  Fort Campbell are built on this promontory and they provide a brief glimpse into two very different eras of Malta's history.

Selmun Palace

Selmun Palace (it's actually more of a country villa) was probably built around 1783 and is typical of the Baroque style. Its shape is similar to Verdala Palace in Buskett and Wignacourt Tower in Saint Paul's Bay. It was rented for use as a hunting lodge by the Knights of Saint John. There's not much to hunt in Malta but it seems there were sufficient wild rabbits in this area to warrant a day's journey from Valletta to indulge in this 'sport'. 

The villa has a square plan with a pseudo-bastion at each side. The purpose of these pseudo-bastions is for the building to look imposing and to serve as a deterrent to corsairs looking for a potential landing spot. Selmun Palace was never intended or used for military purposes. 

A cluster of farmhouses is situated close-by. Selmun Palace is not currently open to the public.

Fort Campbell

Fort Campbell, which was built by the British between 1937 and 1938, is about a kilometre away from Selmun Palace. It is different from all the other forts built previously. Due to the threat of aerial warfare, the fort was surrounded by a long, thin wall and the buildings were constructed at a distance from each other. 

When viewed from the air, this layout resembled the the field walls and farm buildings of the surrounding countryside. Unlike earlier forts, it is unadorned and its gateway is just a breach in the perimeter wall, unlike the ornate gates of Victorian or Baroque forts. Fort Campbell was built to protect the northern approach to Malta.

Unfortunately, this fort was never maintained and, after the British forces left Malta in 1979, it was vandalized and has fallen into disrepair. The  entrance to the fort is open and it is possible to wander around in the grounds, but rooms and barracks should be avoided as the beams have been removed from most ceilings, causing them to cave in and making them dangerous to visitors. Walls abound with colourful graffiti and the remnants of hundreds of broken bottles litter the ground.

From Fort Campbell's vantage point it is possible to get a bird's eye view of Saint Paul's Bay, Mistra Bay and St Paul's Islands. The latter is purported to be the place where the ship carrying the apostle Paul ran aground while he was on his way to Rome to be tried. An account of the shipwreck can be found in the Book of Acts. 

We spent around 3 hours walking around Selmun and it was a very enjoyable outing. Spring is definitely in the air and giant fennel and asphodel are in full bloom; almond trees are fully of pretty blossoms.

The crown daisies are everywhere too and they fill the air with their own particular pungent smell. Bees, wasps and a few butterflies are busy with their own little chores and I also came across a ladybird (ladybug for my US readers). I can't remember the last time I saw one but it was when my son was very young because I recall showing it to him and explaining how rare these pretty little beetles are becoming. 

Selmun is a great place to visit for a walk, a picnic or to learn a little bit about Malta's past. I just wish that the buildings of Fort Campbell could be restored to their former glory and guided tours offered to visitors. The barracks could be rented out to artists or photographers (there's plenty of inspiration in this area) and the fort grounds could still be used for picnics if people are charged a small fee that would go towards the upkeep of this historical fort. I am sure that this will never  happen, but a girl can dream.