List of fortifications in Malta
Appearance
This is a list of fortifications of Malta.[1]
Prehistoric fortifications
[edit]Name | Image | Location | Built | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Baħrija | Rabat | Bronze Age | Scant remains[2] | |
Borġ in-Nadur | Birżebbuġa | c.1450 BC | One bastion intact[3] | |
Nuffara | Xagħra | Bronze Age | Scant remains[2] | |
Qortin | St. Paul's Bay | Bronze Age | Scant remains[2] | |
Ras il-Ġebel | Mġarr | Bronze Age | Scant remains[3] | |
Wardija ta' San Ġorġ | Siġġiewi | Bronze Age | Scant remains[3] |
Walled cities
[edit]Name | Image | Location | Built | Builder | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birgu | Birgu | c.13th–18th centuries | Order of Saint John | Mostly intact, undergoing restoration | |
Cittadella | Victoria | Antiquity–1622[4] | Crown of Aragon Order of Saint John |
Intact. According to Ramon Muntaner (1283) a prominent Aragonite tower existed on the site in the whereabouts of the arch/remains of a Siculo-Norman style villa.[5] A number of outer towers were places outside the Citadel.[6] | |
Cottonera Lines | Cospicua Birgu |
1670–18th century | Order of Saint John | Mostly intact[7] | |
Floriana Lines | Floriana | 1635–18th century | Order of Saint John | Mostly intact[8] | |
Mdina | Mdina | Antiquity–1746 | Order of Saint John | Intact, restored | |
Santa Margherita Lines | Cospicua | 1638–1736 | Order of Saint John[a] | Partially intact | |
Senglea | Senglea | 1552–18th century | Order of Saint John[a] | Partially intact | |
Valletta | Valletta | 1566–1570s | Order of Saint John[a] | Mostly intact, partially restored |
Forts
[edit]Name | Image | Location | Built | Builder | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fort Benghisa | Birżebbuġa | 1910–1912 | United Kingdom | Intact, neglected | |
Fort Binġemma | Rabat | 1875–1878 | United Kingdom | Intact, illegally occupied | |
Fort Campbell | Mellieħa | 1937–1938 | United Kingdom | Ruins | |
Fort Chambray | Għajnsielem | 1749–1760s | Order of Saint John | Intact, redeveloped[9] | |
Fort Delimara | Marsaxlokk | 1876–1888 | United Kingdom | Intact, restoration proposed | |
Fort Leonardo | Żabbar | 1872–1878 | United Kingdom | Intact, restoration proposed | |
Fort Madalena | Swieqi | 1878–1880 | United Kingdom | Intact, used as a rescue corps headquarters and training school[10] | |
Fort Manoel | Gżira | 1723–1733 | Order of Saint John | Intact, restored | |
Fort Mellieħa | Mellieħa | 1940s | United Kingdom | Intact, restored | |
Fort Mosta | Mosta | 1878–1880s | United Kingdom | Intact, used as an ammunition depot | |
Fort Pembroke | Pembroke | 1875–1878 | United Kingdom | Intact, used as a school | |
Fort Ricasoli | Kalkara | 1670–1693 | Order of Saint John | Intact, neglected | |
Fort Saint Angelo | Birgu | 13th century–1690s | Order of Saint John | Intact, undergoing restoration | |
Fort Saint Elmo | Valletta | 1552–1570s | Order of Saint John | Intact, restored | |
Fort San Lucian | Marsaxlokk | 1872–1878 | United Kingdom[b] | Intact, used as an aquaculture research centre | |
Fort Saint Michael | Senglea | 1552–1581 | Order of Saint John | Demolished, part of the base survives | |
Fort Saint Rocco | Kalkara | 1872–1900 | United Kingdom | Intact | |
Fort San Salvatore | Birgu | 1724 | Order of Saint John | Intact, neglected | |
Fort Tas-Silġ | Marsaxlokk | 1879–1883 | United Kingdom | Intact, used as an animal sanctuary | |
Fort Tigné | Sliema | 1793–1795 | Order of Saint John | Intact, restored | |
Fort Verdala | Cospicua | 1852–1856 | United Kingdom | Intact, used as housing estates and a school |
Towers
[edit]Notes:
- For privately built towers, see List of fortifications of Malta#Fortified houses and privately built towers.
Batteries
[edit]Notes:
- Batteries located within larger fortifications are not included in the above list unless they are notable in their own right. Such batteries include:
- De Guiral Battery in Fort Saint Angelo
- Grunenburgh's Batteries in Fort Saint Angelo, Valletta and Senglea
- Low Battery in the Cittadella
- Several other batteries within the fortifications of Birgu
- Anti-aircraft batteries built in World War II are also not included.
Redoubts
[edit]Entrenchments
[edit]
Name | Image | Location | Built[c] | Builder | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bengħisa Entrenchment | Birżebbuġa | 1761 | Order of Saint John | Demolished[17] | |
Birżebbuġa Entrenchment | Birżebbuġa | 1761 | Order of Saint John | Partially intact | |
Falca Lines | Mġarr St. Paul's Bay |
1723–1732 | Order of Saint John | Ruins | |
Għajn Tuffieħa Entrenchment | Mġarr | Order of Saint John | Partially intact | ||
Louvier Entrenchment | Mellieħa | 1761 | Order of Saint John | Never completed Largely intact | |
Madliena Entrenchment | Naxxar | Order of Saint John | Short stretch intact | ||
Naxxar Entrenchment | Naxxar | 1722 | Order of Saint John | Partially intact | |
Qawra Point Entrenchment | St. Paul's Bay | 1761 | Order of Saint John | Short stretch survives in ruins | |
Qbajjar Entrenchment | Żebbuġ, Gozo | Order of Saint John | Few remains survive | ||
Ramla Entrenchment | Xagħra | 1720 | Order of Saint John | Few remains survive | |
Saint Julian's Entrenchment | St. Julian's | Order of Saint John | Short stretch intact | ||
Saint Lucian Entrenchment | Marsaxlokk | 1799 | Kingdom of Great Britain | Demolished | |
Spinola Entrenchment | St. Julian's | 1761 | Order of Saint John | Partially intact | |
Ta' Kassisu Entrenchment | Mellieħa | 1761 | Order of Saint John | Never completed Largely intact | |
Xgħajra Entrenchment | Żabbar | 1761 | Order of Saint John | Short stretches intact | |
Xrobb l-Għaġin Entrenchment | Marsaxlokk | 1761 | Order of Saint John | Ruins | |
Żewwieqa Entrenchment | Għajnsielem | 1761 | Order of Saint John | Ruins |
Notes:
- Entrenchments were originally planned to be built around the entire coastline of the Maltese Islands. The ones listed here are those of which some remains survive, or which are definitely known to have existed.
Lines of fortification
[edit]Name | Image | Location | Built | Builder | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Corradino Lines | Paola | 1871–1880 | United Kingdom | Mostly intact | |
Victoria Lines | Rabat Mġarr Mosta Naxxar Għargħur |
1875–1899 | United Kingdom | Partially intact[19] |
Notes:
- The Floriana Lines, Santa Margherita Lines and the Cottonera Lines are also lines of fortification, but they are listed with the walled cities since they are close to settlements.
Stop walls
[edit]Fortified houses and privately built towers
[edit]Name | Image | Location | Built | Builder | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sant'Angelo Tower | Birżebbuġa | 1702 or 1775 | Viani | Destroyed during WWII[20] | |
Armoury | Siġġiewi | Intact | |||
Bubaqra Tower | Żurrieq | c. 1579 | Don Matteolo Pisani | Intact | |
Cardona Tower | Għarb | Cardona family | Intact. Built before 1649.[21] Also known as tas-Sarretta Tower.[22] Intact but machicolations removed. They appear to were still partially intact on 21 August 1933.[23] | ||
Castello Lanzun | San Ġwann | 15th century–1713 | Wenzu Lanzun | Intact | |
Gauci Tower | Naxxar | 16th century | Francesco Gauci | Intact | |
Gourgion Tower | Xewkija | 1690 | Giovanni Gourgion | Demolished, some stonework survives | |
Ingraw Tower | Żejtun | 1603 | Clemente Tabone | Dismantled; stonework used to build farmhouses[24][25] | |
Mamo Tower | Marsaskala | 1657 | Gregorio and Giorgio Mamo | Intact, restored | |
Mari ta’ Qerqni Tower | Birżebbuġa | Unclear | Intact, converted into a farmhouse | ||
Sant'Antnin Tower | Żejtun | Destroyed during WWII[25] | |||
Santa Cecilia Tower | Għajnsielem | 1613 | Fra Bernardo Macedonia | Intact | |
Ta' Bettina Tower | Marsaxlokk | c. 1740 | D'Aurel Family | Intact | |
Tal-Buttar Tower | Marsaskala | Intact and used as a rural building with a close by watermill.[26] | |||
Tal-Gardiel Tower | Marsaskala | Intact | |||
Tal-Mozz Tower | Żejtun | 1628 | Intact.[25] Also known as Tal-Kwies Tower.[27] | ||
Wied il-Qoton Tower | Birżebbuġa | 18th century | Unprofessionally modified in 1758 | ||
Verdala Palace | Siġġiewi | 1586 | Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle | Intact |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Castagna, P. P. (1865). Malta bil chzejer tehne u li ghadda min ghaliha (in Maltese). Vol. 1. pp. 166–168.
- ^ a b c "Maltese fortifcations" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ a b c "Bugeja" (PDF). www.viatransfer.viastoria.ch. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ Cassar, George (2014). "Defending a Mediterranean island outpost of the Spanish Empire – the case of Malta". Sacra Militia (13): 59–68.
- ^ Attard, Anton F (2012). "Il-Castrum Terre Gaudisii u l-Origini tal-Matrici tal-Assunta f'Ghawdex". Festa Santa Marija (9). Leone Philharmonic Society: 70–77.
- ^ https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/15356/1/Barumbari%20Giren%20and%20Mgiebah%20-%20Vernacular%20gems%20in%20oblivion.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Data" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "Info" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "Forzi" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "Fortizza" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ Vella, John (2016). "The Rock-cut Church of Bormla: Origins and Developments" (PDF). Journal of Maltese History. 5 (1). University of Malta: 60. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2018.
- ^ Guillaumier, Alfie (2002). Bliet u Rhula Maltin. Vol. 1. Klabb Kotba Maltin. p. 129. ISBN 99932-39-15-1.
- ^ "It-Torri ta' GarΩes" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "thinksite.eu" (PDF). www.thinksite.eu.
- ^ "Lehan" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "Fortifikazzjonijiet f'Birżebbuġa". 19 August 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Batterji" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "Data" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "Victoria lines" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "300 Sena ilu nbniet Il-Kappella ta' Sant'Anġlu ta' Ħal Far". sanpietru.wordpress.com. 19 July 2011.
- ^ "page 98" (PDF).
- ^ "Old Photos Catalogue" (PDF). National Archives, Malta: Gozo Collection. Planning Authority: 48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 May 2020.
- ^ "It-Torri ta' Cardona, Gharb, Road Rabat, Gozo". Europeana. Archived from the original on 30 May 2020.
- ^ Bugeja, Anton (2014). "Clemente Tabone: The man, his family and the early years of St Clement's Chapel" (PDF). The Turkish Raid of 1614: 42–57. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018.
- ^ a b c Abela, Joe; Brincat, Anthony M. "Santa Maria ta' Ħal Tmin ~ Żejtun ~". Kappelli Maltin (in Maltese). Archived from the original on 20 June 2017.
- ^ Independent, Malta (2006-06-18). "Irrational With Marsascala: shocking building proposals for scheduled properties". The Malta Independent. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- ^ "Tal-Kwies Tower – PLAKKASTORJA". Plakkastorja.home.blog. 15 December 2018. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
External links
[edit]Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fortifications in Malta.