Castello Lanzun, also known as Lanzun Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Lanzun), is a 15th-century fortified farmhouse in the Mensija area of the town of San Ġwann in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. It serves as the headquarters of the Malta-Paris obedience of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem.

History

Castello Lanzun was originally built in the 15th century as a farmhouse. It gets its name from Wenzu Lanzun (Lorenzo Lanzon), a man from

Birgu Birgu ( mt, Il-Birgu , it, Vittoriosa), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ("''Victorious City''"), is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory of ...

who lived there during the 1676 plague epidemic. Castello Lanzun nádvoří

The farmhouse was modified and enlarged in 1713, and it was fortified so as to be able to provide refuge for the local population in case of a corsair raid. It was also used as a hunting lodge by the Grand Master of the Order of St. John. In

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the building served as an observation post to identify approaching enemy aircraft, and it was severely damaged by aerial bombardment. In 1972, the farmhouse was purchased by

Robert Gayre George Robert Gayre of Gayre and Nigg (6 August 1907St. Martin's Press Staff (2001). ''Who Was Who 1996–2000 Volume X: A Companion to WHO'S WHO – Containing the Biographies of Those Who Died During the Period 1996–2000.'' Palgrave Macmillan, ...

, who restored the building and handed it to the Malta obedience of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem. It was formally inaugurated as the Order's official headquarters on 12 May 1973 by Grand Master

Francisco de Borbón y Borbón Francisco de Paula Enrique María Luis de Borbón y Borbón (16 November 1912 – 18 November 1995) was a Spanish aristocrat and a distant relative of the Spanish royal family.Enache, Nicolas. ''La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg''. IC ...

. The property is in the custody of the Grand Commandery of the Castello (formerly the Commandery of Lochore). The tower was visited by Patriarch

Gregory III Laham Gregory III Laham, Basilian Salvatorian Order, B.S. ( ar, غريغوريوس الثالث لحام; la, Gregorius III Lahamus; born Lutfy Laham, December 15, 1933, in Darayya, Syria), Emeritus Melkite Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch, Patriarch ...

on 17 April 2010. The 40th anniversary of the inauguration of the tower was celebrated in May 2013 with a visit by Grand Master Carlos Gereda y de Borbón and other members of the Order.

Architecture

Castello Lanzun is an example of traditional Maltese architecture, consisting of a number of rooms around a central

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

. The building contains a chapel and a large meeting hall known as the Knights' Hall, which was originally the stables.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://grandcommanderymalta.org/the-castello Order of Saint Lazarus (statuted 1910) Headquarters in Malta San Ġwann Vernacular architecture in Malta Limestone buildings in Malta Buildings and structures completed in the 15th century Hunting lodges in Malta Fortified houses in Malta

History

Architecture

Further reading

References

External links