St Lucian Tower
Encyclopedia
St Lucian Tower is a fortification
on the island of Malta
that stands above the shore of Marsaxlokk Bay on the headland between Marsaxlokk
and Birzebbuga
.
It was built by the Knights of Malta
between 1610 and 1611 and is one of a series of Wignacourt towers
.
The British
substantially extended it and the original tower now forms the core of a Victorian era
fortress. The tower is surrounded by a rock cut ditch, with caponier
s, a sunken gate, and a curved entrance ramp.
On the seaward side the tower has been extended to form a low battery, with three large casemate
s facing out across Marsaxlokk bay towards Fort Delimara
.
St Lucian forms part of a ring of Victorian fortresses that protected Marsaxlokk bay, a ring that that also included Fort Delimara
, Fort Tas-Silg
and Fort Benghisa
.
The fort is now the base of The Malta Centre For Fisheries Sciences.
It is generally in good repair, though the ditch is somewhat overgrown. The casemates are empty, the guns long gone.
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
on the island of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
that stands above the shore of Marsaxlokk Bay on the headland between Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk is a traditional fishing village located in the south-eastern part of Malta, with a population of 3,277 people . The village’s name comes from marsa, which means "port" and xlokk, which is the local name for south east...
and Birzebbuga
Birzebbuga
Birżebbuġa is a small but flourishing seaside resort not far from Marsaxlokk in south-east Malta. It is approximately 8 miles from the City of Valletta. Popular among Maltese holiday-makers for decades, this village is perhaps best known for its important archaeological sites, especially Għar...
.
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
between 1610 and 1611 and is one of a series of Wignacourt towers
Wignacourt towers
The Wignacourt towers are a series of fortifications on the island of Malta built by the Knights of Malta.The initial towers of this type were built under the auspices of Grand Master Fra Aloph de Wignacourt...
.
The British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
substantially extended it and the original tower now forms the core of a Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
fortress. The tower is surrounded by a rock cut ditch, with caponier
Caponier
A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" - which strictly means capon-cote i.e. chickenhouse.The fire coming from the feature A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" -...
s, a sunken gate, and a curved entrance ramp.
On the seaward side the tower has been extended to form a low battery, with three large casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s facing out across Marsaxlokk bay towards Fort Delimara
Fort Delimara
Fort Delimara is a fortification in Marsaxlokk, Malta.-History:The fort was built between 1876 and 1888 by the British. The main gate carries a date of 1881, but this is the date of completion of the gatehouse, not the commissioning of the fort....
.
St Lucian forms part of a ring of Victorian fortresses that protected Marsaxlokk bay, a ring that that also included Fort Delimara
Fort Delimara
Fort Delimara is a fortification in Marsaxlokk, Malta.-History:The fort was built between 1876 and 1888 by the British. The main gate carries a date of 1881, but this is the date of completion of the gatehouse, not the commissioning of the fort....
, Fort Tas-Silg
Fort Tas-Silg
Fort Tas-Silġ is a fortification on the island of Malta. It stands on high ground at the shoreward end of Delimara Point, above Il-Ħofra-z-Zgħira. It is a Polygonal fort and was built by the British. Its primary function was as a fire control point controlling the massed guns of Fort Delimara on...
and Fort Benghisa
Fort Benghisa
Fort Benghisa is a fortification on the island of Malta. It stands on high ground on the seaward face of Benghisa point, the southern arm of Marsaxlokk Bay...
.
The fort is now the base of The Malta Centre For Fisheries Sciences.
It is generally in good repair, though the ditch is somewhat overgrown. The casemates are empty, the guns long gone.