Fresco paintings of the Great Siege Il soccorso piccolo al borgo di notte tempo. A di 5 Luglio 1565

Arrival of the Turkish Armada. The map of Malta depicts the activity which took place when the Turkish armada arrived off Malta on the 18th May 1565

The Piccolo Soccorso arrives on the 5th of July. Sixty miles north of Malta, in Sicily, Don Garcia de Toledo was under pressure from those Knights who had been too late to answer the Grand Master's call for help. Garcia was cautious and as Viceroy took orders from Philip II of Spain. The Knights finally persuaded Don Garcia and embarked in four galleys under the leadership of Don Melchior de Robles. After landing, undetected and spending a few days in Mdina, the relief force made its way to Birgu arriving there on July 5th