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De Redin Towers
The De Redin Towers () are a series of small coastal watchtowers built in Malta by the Knights Hospitaller, Order of Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast of Malta (island), mainland Malta to act as watchtowers. Eight of the towers still survive. The Mġarr ix-Xini Tower, which was built on Gozo in 1661 after the death of de Redin, has a design similar to the De Redin towers. History Background and construction The Spanish knight Martin de Redin was elected List of Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller, Grand Master of the Order of St. John on 17 August 1657. In March 1658, he contributed 6428 Maltese scudo, scudi for the construction of 13 new watchtowers to strengthen the existing coastal defence system, which consisted mainly of the Wignacourt towers, Wignacourt and Lascaris towers. The design of the new towers was based on the Sciuta Tower, one of the Lascaris towers, which had been built in Wied iż-Żurrieq in 1638. Each tower ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two official languages are Maltese language, Maltese and English language, English. The country's capital is Valletta, which is the smallest capital city in the EU by both area and population. It was also the first World Heritage Site, World Heritage City in Europe to become a European Capital of Culture in 2018. With a population of about 542,000 over an area of , Malta is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, tenth-smallest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population density, ninth-most densely populated. Various sources consider the country to consist of a single urban region, for which it is often described as a city-state. Malta has been inhabited since at least 6500 BC, during the Mesolith ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Grand Masters Of The Knights Hospitaller
This is a list of grand masters of the Knights Hospitaller, including its continuation as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta after 1798. It also includes unrecognized "anti-grand masters" and lieutenants or stewards during vacancies. In lists of the heads of the Order, the title "grand master" is often applied retrospectively to the early heads of the Order. The medieval heads of the Order used the title of ''custos'' (guardian) of the Muristan, hospital. The title ''magister'' (master) is used on coins minted in Rhodes, beginning with Foulques de Villaret. The first to use the title ''grandis magister'' (grand master) was Jean de Lastic (reigned 1437–1454). Later grand masters in Rhodes used ''magnus magister'' (grand master). In 1607 Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor, Rudolf II created the grand master a prince of the Holy Roman Empire (''Reichsfürst'').''Gothaisches Genealogisches Handbuch des Fürstlichen Häuser'', Fürstliche Häuser Band 2 (Marburg: V ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Delimara Tower
Delimara Tower (), originally known as ''Torre della Limara'', was a small watchtower on the Delimara Peninsula, in the limits of Marsaxlokk, Malta. It was built in 1659 as the tenth De Redin tower, and an artillery battery was later built nearby in 1793. Both the tower and the battery have been demolished. History Delimara Tower was built in 1659 at the tip of Delimara Point. It followed the standard design of the De Redin towers, having a square plan with two floors and a turret on the roof. A feature unique to Delimara Tower was that it had machicolation In architecture, a machicolation () is an opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement through which defenders could target attackers who had reached the base of the defensive wall. A smaller related structure that only protects key ...s. It also had a buttress at the base, implying that it had some structural weaknesses. A similar buttress still exists at Triq il-Wiesgħa Tower. Each De Redin tower had ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fougasse (weapon)
A fougasse (, ) is an improvised mortar constructed by making a hollow in the ground or rock and filling it with explosives (originally, black powder) and projectiles. The fougasse was used by Samuel Zimmermann at AugsburgThe Origins of Military Mines', Major William C. Schneck, Engineer Bulletin July 1998 in the sixteenth century, referred to by Vauban in the seventeenth century, and well known to military engineers by the mid-eighteenth century. This technique was used in several European wars, the American Revolution, and the American Civil War. The term is still used to describe such devices. Firing The normal method of firing was to use a burning torch or slow match to ignite a ''saucisson'' (French for "sausage", a cloth or leather tube waterproofed with pitch and filled with black powder) leading to the main charge. This had numerous disadvantages; the firer was obvious to the attacking enemy, and had to run to get clear after lighting the fuse. The black powder was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coastal Artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of cannons were highly important to military affairs and generally represented the areas of highest technology and capital cost among materiel. The advent of 20th-century technologies, especially military aviation, naval aviation, jet aircraft, and guided missiles, reduced the primacy of cannons, battleships, and coastal artillery. In countries where coastal artillery has not been disbanded, these forces have acquired amphibious capabilities. In littoral warfare, mobile coastal artillery armed with surface-to-surface missiles can still be used to deny the use of sea lanes. It was long held as a rule of thumb that one shore-based gun equaled three naval guns of the same caliber, due to the steadiness of the coastal gun which allowed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saint Julian's Tower
Saint Julian's Tower (), originally known as ''Torre di San Giuliano'' and also known as Sliema Tower (), is a small watchtower in Sliema, Malta. It was completed in 1658 as the fifth of the 13 De Redin towers. An artillery battery was built around the tower in 1715. Today, the tower and the remains of the battery are a restaurant. History Saint Julian's Tower was built in 1658 to protect St. Julian's Bay. It follows the standard design of the De Redin towers, having a square plan with two floors and a turret on the roof. It has Saint George's Tower in its line of sight to the west, and the capital Valletta to its east. In 1715, a semi-circular artillery battery was built around the seaward side of the tower. Part of the battery had a parapet with four embrasures, with the rest of the parapet being ''en barbette''. A free standing wall and a redan pierced with musketry loopholes enclosed the tower's land front, which was also protected by a shallow rock hewn ditch. In 1798, dur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aħrax Tower
Aħrax Tower (), originally known as ''Torre di Lacras'', and also known as Armier Tower (), Ta' Ħoslien Tower () or the White Tower (), is a small watchtower overlooking Armier Bay in the limits of Mellieħa, Malta. It was built in 1658 as the sixth of the De Redin towers. An artillery battery was built around it in 1715. Today, the tower and battery are intact. After receiving 3 years of restoration work the tower was reopened to the public on the 9th of June 2021. Aħrax Tower is the northernmost fortification on the main island of Malta. History Aħrax Tower was built by November 1658 in the area known as "l-Aħrax tal- Mellieħa". Construction had cost 589 scudi, 5 tari and 15 grani. Its structure is similar to the other De Redin towers, having a square base and two floors. However, the base of Aħrax Tower is slightly larger than some of the other towers. An escutcheon once stood over the main doorway with De Redin's coat of arms, although this is no longer in place. J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isopu Tower
Sopu Tower (), also known as Isopu Tower, San Blas Tower or ''Torre Nuova'', is a small watchtower situated on the cliff between San Blas and Daħlet Qorrot in Nadur, Gozo, Malta. Isopu Tower was the last watchtower to be built in Malta, apart from the '' tour-reduits'' of the 18th century. It is one of four surviving towers on Gozo, with the others being Xlendi Tower, Dwejra Tower and Mġarr ix-Xini Tower. The earlier Garzes and Marsalforn towers were destroyed in the 18th and 19th centuries. History Isopu Tower was built by the Order of Saint John in 1667 during the reign of Grandmaster Nicolas Cotoner at the expense of the Università of Gozo. The latter paid for its garrison but artillery was supplied by the Order itself. The tower is square in shape, and the design is similar to the Xlendi and Dwejra towers. The walls are thick with inward slopes. The tower has a high barrel vault with the middle floor resting on rib arches. A spiral staircase provides access to the va ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Għajn Ħadid Tower
Għajn Ħadid Tower (), originally known as ''Torre di Salomone'' and known by locals as Xagħra Tower (), is a ruined watchtower in Selmun, limits of Mellieħa, Malta. It was built in 1658 as the first of the De Redin towers. The tower has been in ruins since its upper floor collapsed in an earthquake in 1856. History Għajn Ħadid Tower was the first De Redin tower to be built, between March and May 1658. The total cost of construction was 529 scudi, 2 tari and 8 uqija. It was built on a cliff face overlooking Mġiebaħ Bay, having views of l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa, Comino, Gozo, St. Paul's Bay Saint Paul's Bay () is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Region. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. As per the 2021 population census, it has also ... and Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. The design of the tower was based on the Sciuta Tower, which had been built in 1638 in Wied iż-Żurrieq. It ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Harbour
The Grand Harbour (; ), also known as the Port of Marsa, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been substantially modified over the years with extensive docks ( Malta Dockyard), wharves, and fortifications. Description The harbour mouth faces north-east and is bounded to the north by Saint Elmo Point and further sheltered by an isolated breakwater and is bounded to the south by Ricasoli Point. Its north-western shore is formed by the Sciberras Peninsula, which is largely covered by the city of Valletta and its suburb Floriana. This peninsula also divides Grand Harbour from a second parallel natural harbour, Marsamxett Harbour. The main waterway of Grand Harbour continues inland almost to Marsa. The southeastern shore of the harbour is formed by a number of inlets and headlands, principally Rinella Creek, Kalkara Creek, Dockyard Creek, and French Creek, which are covered by Kalkara and the Three Cities: Cospicua, Vittoriosa, and Senglea. The harbour has be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Times Of Malta
The ''Times of Malta'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Malta. Founded in 1935, by Lord and Lady Strickland and Lord Strickland's daughter Mabel, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in Malta. It has the widest circulation of any Maltese newspaper. The newspaper is published by Allied Newspapers Limited, which is owned by the Strickland Foundation, a charitable trust established by Mabel Strickland in 1979 to control the majority of the company. History The history of ''The Times'' of Malta is linked with that of its publishing house, Allied Newspapers Limited. This institution has a history going back to the 1920s, when it pioneered journalism and the printing industry in Malta. It all started with the publication, by Gerald Strickland, of Malta's first evening newspaper in Maltese, ''Il-Progress''. This was a four-page daily with its own printing offices in what was then 10A, Strada Reale, Valletta. The name "Progress" is retained to this day by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sciuta Tower
Sciuta Tower (), also known as Sciutu Tower (, the name preferred by Żurrieq residents) or Wied iż-Żurrieq Tower (), is a small watchtower in Qrendi, Malta. It was completed in 1638 as the fifth of the Lascaris towers. The tower was restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa. History Sciutu Tower (aka locally as Torri ta’ Xutu and Torri Sciuto) was built in 1637–1638 in Wied iż-Żurrieq, located within the Qrendi boundaries, on the site of a medieval watch post. It served as the prototype for the De Redin towers, which were built between 1658 and . After the British took over Malta in 1800, Sciutu Tower remained in use and was manned by the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment and later the Royal Malta Fencible Artillery. It was abandoned in 1873 but was manned by the Coast Police once again during World War II. The tower subsequently used as a police station until 2002. An original cannon dating back to the Order's rule can still be found on the tower's roof. Present day In March 2013, D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
