St Lucian Tower

From Wikipedia, the free 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 caponiers, 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 casemates 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.

[edit] Images - Wignacourt Tower

South face of the tower

View from the south

View from seaward

[edit] Images - Victorian Fort

Ditch and caponier

Gatehouse and ditch

Battery

Casemate

v • d • e Historic Watch Towers of Malta Wignacourt towers St Lucian Tower (Marsaxlokk) · Marsalforn Tower (Marsalforn) · St. Mary's Tower (Comino) · St. Paul's Bay Tower  · Santa Maria delle Grazie Tower (Xgħajra)  · St Thomas Tower (Marsaskala) Lascaris towers St. Agatha's Tower (Mellieħa) · Ghajn Tuffieha Tower · Nadur Tower · Qawra Tower · Sciuta (Ta' Xuta) Tower · Ta' Lippija Tower De Redin towers Ahrax (White) Tower · Benghisa Tower · Delimara Tower · Ghajn Hadid Tower · Għallis Tower · Hamrija Tower · St. Julian's Tower · Madliena Tower · St. Mark's Tower · Triq Il-Wisgha Tower · Wardija Tower · Xrob l-Ghagin Tower · Zonqor Tower