LSE3482840 Death of Dragut, The Great Siege of Malta in 1565, 1867 (oil on canvas) by Cali, Giuseppe (1846-1930); 211.5x157 cm; Museum of Fine Art, Malta; (add.info.: The Great Siege of Malta (Maltese: L-Assedju l-Kbir) took place in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire tried to invade the island of Malta, then held by the Knights Hospitaller. The Knights, with approximately 2,000 footsoldiers and 400 Maltese men, women and children, withstood the siege and repelled the invaders. This victory became one of the most celebrated events in sixteenth-century Europe. ); Photo 穢 Leonard de Selva.