List of fortifications in Malta
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Map of the fortifications of the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett in 1803.
This is a list of fortifications of Malta.[1]
Prehistoric fortifications
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
Name | Image | Location | Built | Builder | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birgu | ![]() |
Birgu | c.13th–18th centuries | ![]() |
Mostly intact, undergoing restoration |
Cittadella | ![]() |
Victoria | Antiquity–1622[4] | ![]() ![]() |
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 | ![]() |
Mostly intact[7] |
Floriana Lines | ![]() |
Floriana | 1635–18th century | ![]() |
Mostly intact[8] |
Mdina | ![]() |
Mdina | Antiquity–1746 | ![]() |
Intact, restored |
Santa Margherita Lines | ![]() |
Cospicua | 1638–1736 | ![]() |
Partially intact |
Senglea | ![]() |
Senglea | 1552–18th century | ![]() |
Partially intact |
Valletta | ![]() |
Valletta | 1566–1570s | ![]() |
Mostly intact, partially restored |
Forts
Name | Image | Location | Built | Builder | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fort Benghisa | ![]() |
Birżebbuġa | 1910–1912 | ![]() |
Intact, neglected |
Fort Binġemma | ![]() |
Rabat | 1875–1878 | ![]() |
Intact, illegally occupied |
Fort Campbell | ![]() |
Mellieħa | 1937–1938 | ![]() |
Ruins |
Fort Chambray | ![]() |
Għajnsielem | 1749–1760s | ![]() |
Intact, redeveloped[9] |
Fort Delimara | ![]() |
Marsaxlokk | 1876–1888 | ![]() |
Intact, restoration proposed |
Fort Leonardo | ![]() |
Żabbar | 1872–1878 | ![]() |
Intact, restoration proposed |
Fort Madalena | ![]() |
Swieqi | 1878–1880 | ![]() |
Intact, used as a rescue corps headquarters and training school[10] |
Fort Manoel | ![]() |
Gżira | 1723–1733 | ![]() |
Intact, restored |
Fort Mellieħa | Mellieħa | 1940s | ![]() |
Intact, restored | |
Fort Mosta | ![]() |
Mosta | 1878–1880s | ![]() |
Intact, used as an ammunition depot |
Fort Pembroke | ![]() |
Pembroke | 1875–1878 | ![]() |
Intact, used as a school |
Fort Ricasoli | ![]() |
Kalkara | 1670–1693 | ![]() |
Intact, neglected |
Fort Saint Angelo | ![]() |
Birgu | 13th century–1690s | ![]() |
Intact, undergoing restoration |
Fort Saint Elmo | ![]() |
Valletta | 1552–1570s | ![]() |
Intact, restored |
Fort San Lucian | ![]() |
Marsaxlokk | 1872–1878 | ![]() |
Intact, used as an aquaculture research centre |
Fort Saint Michael | ![]() |
Senglea | 1552–1581 | ![]() |
Demolished, part of the base survives |
Fort Saint Rocco | ![]() |
Kalkara | 1872–1900 | ![]() |
Intact |
Fort San Salvatore | ![]() |
Birgu | 1724 | ![]() |
Intact, neglected |
Fort Tas-Silġ | ![]() |
Marsaxlokk | 1879–1883 | ![]() |
Intact, used as an animal sanctuary |
Fort Tigné | ![]() |
Sliema | 1793–1795 | ![]() |
Intact, restored |
Fort Verdala | ![]() |
Cospicua | 1852–1856 | ![]() |
Intact, used as housing estates and a school |
Towers
Notes:
- For privately built towers, see List of fortifications of Malta#Fortified houses and privately built towers.
Batteries
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
Entrenchments
Name | Image | Location | Built[lower-alpha 3] | Builder | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bengħisa Entrenchment | Birżebbuġa | 1761 | ![]() |
Demolished[17] | |
Birżebbuġa Entrenchment | Birżebbuġa | 1761 | ![]() |
Partially intact | |
Falca Lines | ![]() |
Mġarr St. Paul's Bay |
1723–1732 | ![]() |
Ruins |
Għajn Tuffieħa Entrenchment | Mġarr | ![]() |
Partially intact | ||
Louvier Entrenchment | Mellieħa | 1761 | ![]() |
Never completed Largely intact | |
Madliena Entrenchment | Naxxar | ![]() |
Short stretch intact | ||
Naxxar Entrenchment | ![]() |
Naxxar | 1722 | ![]() |
Partially intact |
Qawra Point Entrenchment | ![]() |
St. Paul's Bay | 1761 | ![]() |
Short stretch survives in ruins |
Qbajjar Entrenchment | Żebbuġ, Gozo | ![]() |
Few remains survive | ||
Ramla Entrenchment | Xagħra | 1720 | ![]() |
Few remains survive | |
Saint Julian's Entrenchment | ![]() |
St. Julian's | ![]() |
Short stretch intact | |
Saint Lucian Entrenchment | Marsaxlokk | 1799 | ![]() |
Demolished | |
Spinola Entrenchment | ![]() |
St. Julian's | 1761 | ![]() |
Partially intact |
Ta' Kassisu Entrenchment | Mellieħa | 1761 | ![]() |
Never completed Largely intact | |
Xgħajra Entrenchment | Żabbar | 1761 | ![]() |
Short stretches intact | |
Xrobb l-Għaġin Entrenchment | Marsaxlokk | 1761 | ![]() |
Ruins | |
Żewwieqa Entrenchment | Għajnsielem | 1761 | ![]() |
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
Name | Image | Location | Built | Builder | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Corradino Lines | ![]() |
Paola | 1871–1880 | ![]() |
Mostly intact |
Victoria Lines | ![]() |
Rabat Mġarr Mosta Naxxar Għargħur |
1875–1899 | ![]() |
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.
Fortified houses and privately built towers
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 built 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
- Some alterations were made by the
United Kingdom
- The fort was built around a tower of the
Order of Saint John.
- Some dates are approximate
References
- Castagna, P. P. (1865). Malta bil chzejer tehne u li ghadda min ghaliha (in Maltese). 1. pp. 166–168.
- "Maltese fortifcations" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
- "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. Leone Philharmonic Society (9): 70–77.
- https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/15356/1/Barumbari%20Giren%20and%20Mgiebah%20-%20Vernacular%20gems%20in%20oblivion.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. University of Malta. 5 (1): 60. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2018.
- Guillaumier, Alfie (2002). Bliet u Rhula Maltin. 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.
- "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.
- "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): 42–57. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Cite journal requires
|journal=
(help) - 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. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
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