# Relief Force Ends the Great Siege (7–8 September 1565)

URL: https://allhistories.com/malta/timeline/1565-relief-force-ends-the-great-siege
Location: Mellieħa, Malta
Themes: Wars & Revolts

By late summer 1565 both sides were exhausted. The Ottoman army had lost many thousands of men to fighting and disease, and its commanders disagreed about whether to winter in Malta or turn against Mdina. Grand Master de Valette's garrison, though reduced to a few hundred able-bodied knights and soldiers, still held Birgu, Senglea and Fort St Angelo. After long delays caused by caution and the difficulty of assembling troops, the Viceroy of Sicily, García Álvarez de Toledo, sailed with a relief force known as the Gran Soccorso. On 7 September 1565 about 8,000 soldiers landed at Mellieħa Bay in the north of the island. The Ottomans lifted the siege and began to embark, then attempted to engage the relief army near St Paul's Bay, but were routed and fled to their ships, leaving Malta by 12 September. The end of the siege was celebrated on 8 September, the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, which Malta still observes as Victory Day, or Il-Vittorja. The victory was hailed across Christian Europe, brought de Valette immense prestige and a flood of donations, and ensured that the Order remained in Malta. The ruined state of Birgu also led to the decision to build a new fortified city on Mount Sciberras.

## Why it matters
The relief of Malta ended Ottoman hopes of taking the island and is still commemorated as a national day on 8 September.

Ruler at the Time: [Jean Parisot de Valette](https://allhistories.com/malta/rulers/jean-parisot-de-valette)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Victory Day (Malta)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Day_(Malta))
- [Wikipedia — García Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/García_Álvarez_de_Toledo_y_Osorio)
- [Heritage Malta](https://heritagemalta.mt/)
- [Wikipedia — The Order Of St John (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hospitaller_Malta)