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Mġarr Ix-Xini Tower
Mġarr ix-Xini Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Mġarr ix-Xini) is the largest of the coastal watchtowers that the Knights of Malta erected on the island of Gozo. It watches over the entrance to the bay of Mġarr ix-Xini, limits of Għajnsielem, which lies on Gozo's south-west coast. It was completed in 1661, and its design is similar to the De Redin towers that were commissioned by Grand Master Martin de Redin. Recently, Wirt Għawdex, a heritage NGO, restored the tower. It is now open to the public. It is one of four surviving coastal watchtowers on Gozo, with the others being Xlendi Tower, Dwejra Tower, and Isopu Tower. History Mġarr ix-Xini Tower was completed by June 1661, to a plan by Mederico Blondel. It cost an estimated 857 scudi, which were financed by the Università of Gozo. The design is similar to the De Redin towers on mainland Malta, having a square plan with two floors. However, the design differed since its entrance was approached by a flight of steps and a drawb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Għajnsielem
Għajnsielem (), meaning ''"Peaceful Spring"'', is a municipality on the southeastern coast of the island of Gozo in Malta, including the entire island of Comino. It has a population of 3,200 residents (as of March 2014), and is the first Gozitan village that greets the visitor on leaving Mġarr Harbour towards the Gozitan heartland. Its name originated from the water spring, around which in 1700, Grandmaster Perellos built an arcade containing public wash basins and fresh water spouts. Attractions include Lourdes Chapel with its sharp steeple and underlying niche of Our Lady of Lourdes, Fort Chambray and the towering of Ghajnsielem Parish Church. Village Motto and Coat of Arms The Latin motto of Ghajnsielem is Ob fontem prosperitas, that is Flourishing because of a spring – Nistaghna b’nixxiegha ilma. The springs in the area were the magnet that attracted the first inhabitants that eventually led to the prosperity of the place. Places The following is a list of prominent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xlendi Tower
Xlendi Tower ( mt, Torri tax-Xlendi) is a small watchtower near Xlendi Bay, within the limits of Munxar on the island of Gozo in Malta. The tower is one of the Lascaris towers and dates to 1650; it is currently undergoing restoration. It is the oldest of the four surviving watchtowers on Gozo. The earlier Garzes and Marsalforn towers were destroyed in the 18th and 19th centuries. History Xlendi Tower was proposed in 1649 by the Baliff Baldassare de Demandolx. Construction began soon after, and it was complete by June 1650. The Università of Gozo paid the cost of construction. The tower is rectangular and its design is similar to that of the earlier Lascaris towers on Malta. Unlike the earlier Lascaris towers, Xlendi Tower has an additional platform with a slope to its base on the seaward side. It has a flat roof, where guns were mounted. Initially it held two 6-pounder guns, which were later replaced by two 4-pounder guns. Entrance to the tower is via an external flight of sta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xewkija
Xewkija ( mt, Ix-Xewkija, it, Casal Xeuchia, pronounced and written as Casal Sceuchia) is an administrative unit of Malta, on the island of Gozo. The population of Xewkija is 3,300 as of March 2014. History Xewkija, which is situated between Għajnsielem and the main town, Victoria, is the oldest village in Gozo. It became the first parish outside Victoria on 27 November 1678. It was separated from the Matrix by Bishop Miguel Jerónimo de Molina and Dun Grezz Farrugia from Valletta, became its first parish priest. It became the first district 'contrada' to be known as 'casale' or village. The name is derived from the Maltese word "", meaning "thistles" or "thorns". Xewkija is famous for its church, The Rotunda of Xewkija, which is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. It is the Seat of the Knights of the Order of St. John, and was built from Maltese stone by local masons and craftsmen. It is the largest in Gozo and its dome dominates the village. Its architect was Ġużè Dama ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Towers Completed In 1661
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specifically distinguished from buildings in that they are built not to be habitable but to serve other functions using the height of the tower. For example, the height of a clock tower improves the visibility of the clock, and the height of a tower in a fortified building such as a castle increases the visibility of the surroundings for defensive purposes. Towers may also be built for observation, leisure, or telecommunication purposes. A tower can stand alone or be supported by adjacent buildings, or it may be a feature on top of a larger structure or building. Etymology Old English ''torr'' is from Latin ''turris'' via Old French ''tor''. The Latin term together with Greek τύρσις was loaned from a pre-Indo-European Mediterranean language, ... [...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 and is seen as the daily newspaper of record of the Maltese press. 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 na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saint Mary's Tower
Saint Mary's Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Santa Marija), also known as the Comino Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Kemmuna), is a large bastioned watchtower on the island of Comino in Malta. It was built in 1618, the fifth of six Wignacourt towers. The tower was used by the Armed Forces of Malta until 2002, and it is now in the hands of Din l-Art Ħelwa. The tower is a prominent landmark of Comino, and can be clearly seen from both Malta and Gozo, as well as from the ferry between the islands. History Saint Mary's Tower was built in 1618 to defend the island of Comino since ships travelling between Malta and Gozo were often attacked by Barbary corsairs based on the cliffs and creeks of Comino. It also served as a communications link between the island of Gozo and mainland Malta in case of an attack on Gozo. Funds for its construction were raised primarily by means of the sale of Comino brushwood, and the total cost was 18,628 scudi, 5 tari and 10 grani, which made it the most expensive of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Santa Cecilia Tower
Santa Cecilia Tower ( mt, It-Torri ta' Santa Ċeċilja or ''ta' Santa Ċilja'') is a tower in Għajnsielem, Gozo, Malta. It was built in 1613 by a member of the Order of St. John, and it could relay messages across the island. Today, the tower is in good condition and it is a private residence. History Santa Cecilia Tower was built in 1613 by Fra Bernardo Macedonia, Commander of Artillery of the Order of St. John. It got its name from the nearby Santa Cecilia Chapel, which is the oldest surviving chapel on Gozo. The chapel eventually became an ancillary building to the tower. The tower was able to communicate with the batteries at Ramla Bay as well as Mġarr ix-Xini Tower, so it could relay messages across Gozo. It was also able to provide refuge for the local population in case of a corsair raid. Today, the tower is a private residence. It was included on the Antiquities List of 1925. The tower is now scheduled as a Grade 1 monument, and it is also listed on the National Inven ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malta (island)
Malta is the largest of the three major islands that constitute the Maltese archipelago. It is sometimes referred to as Valletta for statistical purposes to distinguish the main island from the Malta, entire country. Malta is in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea directly south of Italy and north of Libya. The island is long and wide, with a total area of . The capital is Valletta, while the largest locality is Rabat, Malta, Rabat. The island is made up of many small towns, which together form one Larger Urban Zones, larger urban zone with a population of 409,259. The landscape is characterised by low hills with terraced fields. History Humans have inhabited Malta since about 5200 BC, when stone age hunters or farmers arrived from Sicily. Early Neolithic settlements were discovered in open areas and also in caves, such as Għar Dalam. Around 3500 BC, a culture of megalithic temple builders then either supplanted or arose. They built some of the oldest existing, free-standing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isopu Tower
Sopu Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Sopu), 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. 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 various floors. The main doorway had four escutcheons with coats of arms o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dwejra Tower
Dwejra Tower ( mt, Torri tad-Dwejra) is a small watchtower in Dwejra Bay, San Lawrenz, which is on the island of Gozo in Malta. It was completed in 1652, and is part of the Lascaris towers. Today, it is in good condition and is open to the public. It is one of four surviving coastal watchtowers in Gozo, with the others being Xlendi Tower, Mġarr ix-Xini Tower and Isopu Tower. History The Dwejra Tower was built in 1652 during the magistracy of Grand Master Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, and was funded by the University of Gozo. It is one of the Lascaris towers, and the intention behind its construction was for it to act as a watchtower and guard the surrounding areas from corsair landings. This tower, just like the other towers, could communicate to nearby defence fortifications through fire and smoke, at night and day respectively. The expenses for running the tower were covered by producing salt from the salt pans near it. It was equipped with three 6-pounder guns in the eigh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Martin De Redin
Fra' Martin de Redin (Pamplona, 1579 – Malta, 6 February 1660) was a Spanish military and political figure, and the 58th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta. He became Grand Prior of the Order of Malta of Navarra in 1641, and Viceroy of Sicily in 1656. He was elected Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller in 1657 after the death of Giovanni Paolo Lascaris. During his rule, he commissioned the building of 13 de Redin watch towers around the coast of 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 .... These towers created a line of communication around the island to give warning of the approach of corsairs and pirates. De Redin also created a corps of 4000 musketeers, and brought in food and supplies from Sicily when Malta suffered a shortage during his re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
