The Corradino Batteries ( mt, Batteriji ta' Kordin) were a series of

artillery batteries In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to facil ...

on Corradino Heights, near Paola,

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 ...

, that were built by Maltese insurgents during the

French blockade French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

of 1798–1800. The batteries formed part of a chain of batteries, redoubts and entrenchments encircling the French positions in Marsamxett and the

Grand Harbour The Grand Harbour ( mt, il-Port il-Kbir; it, Porto Grande), also known as the Port of Valletta, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been substantially modified over the years with extensive docks (Malta Dockyard), wharves, and ...

. The Corradino Batteries were built on the grounds of the Grand Master's Stables, a large

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

building on the summit of Corradino Heights. During the siege, the stables served as barracks for the insurgents. There were three batteries, overlooking Għajn Dwieli,

Senglea Senglea ( mt, L-Isla ), also known by its title Città Invicta (or Civitas Invicta), is a fortified city in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It is one of the Three Cities in the Grand Harbour area, the other two being Cospicua and Vittorios ...

and the

Floriana Lines The Floriana Lines ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Furjana) are a line of fortifications in Floriana, Malta, which surround the fortifications of Valletta and form the capital city's outer defences. Construction of the lines began in 1636 and they were nam ...

respectively: *The battery facing Għajn Dwieli was located near the entrance of the stables, and it was armed with two 8-pounder guns. *The battery facing the road coming from Senglea was armed with two 8-pounder cannon taken from the Xrobb l-Għaġin coastal entrenchment. *The battery facing Marsa and the Floriana Lines was initially armed with four 6-pounder guns, but the British later added two 9-inch mortars. The batteries were linked together with long rubble wall entrenchments. A Belvedere Tower was also located north of the batteries. By the end of the siege, the batteries were armed with five cannons, including an 18-pounder which had been taken from St. Julian's Battery. The architect

Michele Cachia Michele Cachia ( mt, Mikiel Cachia; 30 September 1760 – 24 January 1839) was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He is also known for his role during the Maltese uprising of 1798–1800. Life Michele Cachia was born on 30 September 17 ...

had a leading role in the construction of the batteries, which were completed in January 1799. The batteries and adjoining camp was one of the largest and most important insurgent positions. The camp fell under the overall command of

Emmanuele Vitale Emmanuele Vitale (30 April 1758 – 8 October 1802) was a Maltese notary, commander and statesman. During the Siege of Malta, he commanded 10,000 irregular Maltese soldiers. Biography Early life Emmanuel Vitale was born in Rabat on 30 Apri ...

and was garrisoned by 224 men from

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...

and

Dingli Dingli ( mt, Ħad-Dingli) is a village in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of 3,865 as of 2021. It is from the capital Valletta and two kilometers () from the nearest town, Rabat. The village lies on a plateau some 250 metre ...

. On 21 November 1798, French troops attacked Corradino, but were repelled by the Maltese. Throughout the siege, the guns of Valletta's Saluting Battery were trained on Corradino to counter the insurgents. The Grand Master's Stables were extensively damaged by French bombardment, and the ruined structure was demolished by an order of 21 January 1811. The adjoining batteries were presumably also dismantled at this point. The area formerly occupied by the stables and battery is now heavily industrialized.

References

Batteries in Malta Paola, Malta Military installations established in 1798 Buildings and structures demolished in 1811 Demolished buildings and structures in Malta French occupation of Malta Vernacular architecture in Malta Limestone buildings in Malta 1798 establishments in Malta 18th-century fortifications 1811 disestablishments in Malta {{Malta-stub