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Torre Dello Standardo
The ''Torre dello Standardo'' ( en, Tower of the Standard, mt, It-Torri tal-Istandard) is a tower in Mdina, Malta, forming part of the city's fortifications. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1725 and 1726, on the site of an earlier tower, and its purpose was to communicate signals between Mdina and the rest of Malta. Today, the tower is in good condition, and it serves as a tourist information centre and for occasional cultural events. History Torre Mastra/de la Bandiera The Torre dello Standardo was built on site of a medieval tower called the ''Torre Mastra'' ( scn, Turri Mastra) or the ''Torre de la Bandiera'' ( scn, Turri dila Bandiera). The site is located near the Mdina Gate, the main entrance of the city. It was one of a series of towers located within the fortifications of Mdina. The tower, like many other medieval buildings in Mdina, had suffered significant damage during the 1693 Sicily earthquake. The tower was eventually demolished in March 1725 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fortifications Of Mdina
The fortifications of Mdina ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Imdina) are a series of defensive walls which surround the former capital city of Mdina, Malta. The city was founded as Maleth by the Phoenicians in around the 8th century BC, and it later became part of the Roman Empire under the name Melite. The ancient city was surrounded by walls, but very few remains of these have survived. The city walls were rebuilt a number of times, including by the Byzantine Empire in around the 8th century AD, the Arabs in around the 11th century, and the Kingdom of Sicily in the medieval period until the 15th century. Most of the extant fortifications were built by the Order of Saint John between the 16th and 18th centuries. The city has withstood a number of sieges, and it was defeated twice – first by the Aghlabids in 870 and then by Maltese rebels in 1798. Today, the city walls are still intact except for some outworks, and they are among the best preserved fortifications in Malta. Mdina has been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palazzo Vilhena
Vilhena Palace ( mt, Il-Palazz De Vilhena; it, Palazzo Vilhena), also known as the Magisterial Palace ( mt, Palazz Maġisterjali) and Palazzo Pretorio, is a French Baroque palace in Mdina, Malta. It is named after António Manoel de Vilhena, the Grand Master who commissioned it. It was built between 1726 and 1728 to designs of the French architect Charles François de Mondion, on the site of the meeting place of the Università. The palace was used a hospital in the 19th and 20th centuries, and it became known as Connaught Hospital after 1909. Since 1973, it has been open to the public as Malta's National Museum of Natural History. History Background and construction The site of Vilhena Palace has been inhabited since ancient times, and post-Punic remains have been found in the area. In around the 8th century, a Byzantine fort was probably built on the site, and in the Middle Ages it developed into a castle known as the ''Castellu di la Chitati''. The castle's inner walls w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malta Environment And Planning Authority
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA, mt, L-Awtorità ta' Malta dwar l-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar) was the national agency responsible for the environment and planning in Malta. It was established to regulate the environment and planning on the Maltese islands of Malta, Gozo and other small islets of the Maltese archipelago. MEPA was bound to follow the regulations of the Environment Protection Act (2001) and the Development Planning Act (1992) of the Laws of Malta. The national agency was also responsible for the implementation of Directives, Decisions and Regulations under the EU Environmental Acquis as Malta is a member of the European Union, while considering other recommendations and opinion of the Union. The Authority employed over 420 government workers, from a wide range of educational backgrounds, all within their merit of profession. On 4 April 2016, MEPA was dissolved and two new authorities were established to take its place: the Planning Authority and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Din L-Art Ħelwa
() is a non-governmental and non-profit, voluntary organisation founded in 1965 by Maltese Judge Maurice Caruana Curran to safeguard Malta's cultural heritage and natural environment. Since its foundation, Din l-Art Ħelwa has restored numerous cultural sites of historic and environmental importance. The organisation promotes the preservation and protection of historic buildings and monuments, the character of Malta's towns and villages, and places of natural beauty. They stimulate the enforcement of existing laws and the enactment of new ones for the protection of Malta's natural and built heritage. Name and offices The name of the organization is derived from the first verse of ''L-Innu Malti'', Malta's national anthem: ''"Lil din l-art ħelwa..."'' (This fair land). Letter Ħ is part of Maltese alphabet. The offices of Din l-Art Ħelwa are found at 133 Melita Street, Valletta. The building is part of a large townhouse located at 130-135, Melita Street (formerly Strada Br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gourgion Tower
Gourgion Tower ( mt, It-Torri ta' Gourgion or ''It-Torri Gorġun'', it, Torre Gourgion) was a fortified house in the outskirts of Xewkija, Gozo, Malta. The tower was built by Giovanni Gourgion in 1690, and it became a symbol of the village of Xewkija. Despite being listed on the Antiquities List in 1925, it was demolished by American forces in 1943 to make way for an airfield for the Allied invasion of Sicily. History Gourgion Tower was built by and named after Giovanni Gourgion, a Gozitan nobleman who had made a fortune in corsairing against Ottoman shipping, and who was the personal secretary of Grand Masters Gregorio Carafa and Adrien de Wignacourt. The tower was completed in 1690, and served as the centrepiece of Gourgion's estates and a farmhouse in Gozo. According to tradition, Grand Master Wignacourt himself attended the opening ceremony of the tower, but this is unlikely since it is not recorded in any archives. In 1798, during the French occupation of Malta, some o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palazzo Stagno
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which housed the Imperial residences. Most European languages have a version of the term (''palais'', ''palazzo'', ''palacio'', etc.), and many use it for a wider range of buildings than English. In many parts of Europe, the equivalent term is also applied to large private houses in cities, especially of the aristocracy; often the term for a large country house is different. Many historic palaces are now put to other uses such as parliaments, museums, hotels, or office buildings. The word is also sometimes used to describe a lavishly ornate building used for public entertainment or exhibitions such as a movie palace. A palace is distinguished from a castle while the latter clearly is fortified or has the style of a fortification, whereas a pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francesco Zahra
Francesco Vincenzo Zahra ( mt, Franġisk Żahra, 15 December 1710 – 19 August 1773) was a Maltese painter who mainly painted religious works in the Neapolitan Baroque style. His works may be found in many churches around the Maltese Islands, as well as in some private collections and museums. He is considered to be the greatest painter from 18th-century Malta. Biography Zahra was born in Senglea, as the son of the stone carver Pietro Paolo Zahra and Augustina Casanova. His exact date of birth is not known, but he was baptised at the Senglea parish church on 15 December 1710. Little is known of Zahra's early life, but he likely received a good education. Zahra's career as an artist lasted for four decades, and he came to be considered as the greatest painter from Malta of the 18th century. He painted in the Baroque style and was strongly influenced from the art scene of Naples. Zahra's works include many religious paintings, including altarpieces or other large paintings for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
De Redin Towers
The De Redin Towers ( mt, Torrijiet ta' De Redin) are a series of small coastal watchtowers built in Malta by the Order of Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast of mainland Malta, eight of which 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 Grand Master of the Order of St. John on 17 August 1657. In March 1658, he contributed 6428 scudi for the construction of 13 new watchtowers to strengthen the existing coastal defence system, which consisted mainly of the 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 had a square base with two floors, with a turret on the roof. The entrance was on the top floor, and was reached by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Watchtower
A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may observe the surrounding area. In some cases, non-military towers, such as religious towers, may also be used as watchtowers. History Military watchtowers The Romans built numerous towers as part of a system of communications, one example being the towers along Hadrian's Wall in Britain. Romans built many lighthouses, such as the Tower of Hercules in northern Spain, which survives to this day as a working building, and the equally famous lighthouse at Dover Castle, which survives to about half its original height as a ruin. In medieval Europe, many castles and manor houses, or similar fortified buildings, were equipped with watchtowers. In some of the manor houses of weste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coastal Defence And Fortification
300px, Castillo San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, an example of an Early Modern coastal defense Coastal defence (or defense) and coastal fortification are measures taken to provide protection against military attack at or near a coastline (or other shoreline), for example, fortifications and coastal artillery. Because an invading enemy normally requires a port or harbour to sustain operations, such defences are usually concentrated around such facilities, or places where such facilities could be constructed. Coastal artillery fortifications generally followed the development of land fortifications, usually incorporating land defences; sometimes separate land defence forts were built to protect coastal forts. Through the middle 19th century, coastal forts could be bastion forts, star forts, polygonal forts, or sea forts, the first three types often with detached gun batteries called "water batteries". Coastal defence weapons throughout history were heavy na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Malta - Mdina - Pjazza San Publiju - Torre Dello Standardo 03 Ies
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 south of Sicily (Italy), east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The official languages are Maltese and English, and 66% of the current Maltese population is at least conversational in the Italian language. Malta has been inhabited since approximately 5900 BC. Its location in the centre of the Mediterranean has historically given it great strategic importance as a naval base, with a succession of powers having contested and ruled the islands, including the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese, Knights of St. John, French, and British, amongst others. With a population of about 516,000 over an area of , Malta is the world's tenth-smallest country in area and fourth most densely populated sovereign co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Bank Of Malta
The Central Bank of Malta ( mt, Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta) is the central bank of the Republic of Malta. It was established on 17 April 1968. In May 2004, when Malta joined the European Union, it became an integral part of the European System of Central Banks. It was responsible for, amongst other things, issuing Maltese lira banknotes and coins, before Malta adopted the euro in 2008 and the bank became part of the Eurosystem. The Central Bank of Malta Act was originally published by means of Act XXXI of 1967. It has been amended a number of times, most recently by Acts I and IV of 2007 in order to provide for the bank's membership within the Eurosystem. The Central Bank of Malta is located in an early 20th-century building. Completed in 1924 as the Vernon Institute, or Vernon Club. The bank occupied the building since 1967, but made arrangement for the lease of the premises in 1968, with a contract lasting almost hundred years. The interior was eventually demolished in 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
