Blat Mogħża Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Blat
Mogħża), also known as Ta' Capra Tower ( mt, Torri ta'
Capra
Capra may refer to:
* ''Capra'' (genus), comprising the goats
* Capra (goat dance), a Romanian custom
* Capra (titular see), a titular see in the Catholic Church
* Capra (car), a pick-up brand from the Iranian Bahman Group
People
* Buzz Capra ...
), was a small
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 ...
in
Fomm ir-Riħ
Fomm ir-Riħ (meaning ''mouth of the wind'' in Maltese), is a small bay in the limits of Mġarr on the western side of the island of Malta. The area is characterised by a fault line which creates an interesting landscape with vertical cliffs and ...
, limits of
Mġarr
Mġarr ( mt, L-Imġarr), formerly known as ''Mgiarro'', is a village in the Northern Region of Malta. Mġarr is a typical rural village situated in an isolated region, west of Mosta. It is surrounded with rich farmland and vineyards. Many of it ...
,
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 was one of the
Lascaris towers
The Laskaris or Lascaris ( el, Λάσκαρις, later Λάσκαρης) family was a Byzantine Greek noble family whose members formed the ruling dynasty of the Empire of Nicaea from 1204 to 1261 and remained among the senior nobility up to the d ...
.
Blat Mogħża Tower was built sometime during the reign of
Giovanni Paolo Lascaris
Giovanni Paolo Lascaris di Ventimiglia e Castellar ( Maltese: ''Laskri'') (28 June 156014 August 1657) was an Italian nobleman and Grand Master of the Knights of Malta.
Early life
Lascaris was born on 28 June 1560, the second son of Giannetto ...
on the site of a medieval watch post. Its design was probably similar to
Lippija and
Għajn Tuffieħa Towers, which were built in 1637. It would have had Lippija and
Nadur Tower
Nadur Tower ( mt, Torri tan-Nadur) is a small watchtower in Binġemma Gap, limits of Rabat, Malta. It was completed in 1637 as the third of the Lascaris towers. Today, the tower is in good condition.
History
Nadur Tower was built in 1637 at Bi ...
s in its line of sight.
The tower was built on the edge of a cliff face, which began to subside. According to the Order's engineer
Charles François de Mondion
Charles François de Mondion (6 October 1681 – 25 December 1733) was a French architect and military engineer who was active in Hospitaller Malta in the early 18th century. He was also a member of the Order of Saint John.
Career
Mondion was bo ...
, the tower was in ruins by 1730. It was never rebuilt.
References
Lascaris towers
Buildings and structures demolished in the 18th century
Demolished buildings and structures in Malta
Collapsed buildings and structures
Former towers
Mġarr
Military installations closed in the 18th century
{{Malta-stub