Della Grazie Battery ( mt, Il-Batterija tal-Grazzja), also known as Xgħajra Battery ( mt, Il-Batterija tax-Xgħajra), is an

artillery battery 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 fac ...

Xgħajra Xgħajra ( mt, Ix-Xgħajra) is a small village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It is located on the coast, about halfway between Valletta and Marsaskala. Its local football club is known as the Xgħajra Tornadoes F.C. Contrary to popular be ...

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 built by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

between 1888 and 1893. The battery stands above the shore to the east of

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 ...

, between Fort Saint Rocco and Fort Saint Leonardo. It is currently in a dilapidated state, and part of the battery is used as the town hall for Xgħajra.

History

Construction of the battery started in October 1888 and was completed in March 1893, at a cost of £16,344. It was constructed to take advantage of the improved breech loading guns then coming into service. It was equipped with two

6 inch "6 Inch" is a song by American singer Beyoncé featuring Canadian singer the Weeknd from the former's sixth studio album ''Lemonade'' (2016). The song's original portions were written by the artists alongside DannyBoyStyles, Ben Billions, The-Dream ...

and two 10 inch breech loading guns in disappearing mounts. The installation takes the form of a

polygonal fort A polygonal fort is a type of fortification originating in France in the late 18th century and fully developed in Germany in the first half of the 19th century. Unlike earlier forts, polygonal forts had no bastions, which had proved to be vulnerabl ...

, irregular hexagonal in plan, with two

caponier A caponier is a type of defensive structure in a fortification. Fire from this point could cover the ditch beyond the curtain wall to deter any attempt to storm the wall. The word originates from the French ', meaning "chicken coop" (a ''capon'' ...

s defending the forward ditches. Access to the fort is via a gatehouse and causeway across the rear ditch. The battery takes its name from the much earlier

Wignacourt tower Wignacourt Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Wignacourt), also known as Saint Paul's Bay Tower ( mt, Torri ta' San Pawl il-Baħar), is a bastioned watchtower in St. Paul's Bay, Malta. It was the first of six Wignacourt towers to be built, and the first ston ...

, the

Santa Maria delle Grazie Tower Santa Maria delle Grazie Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Santa Marija tal-Grazzja), also known as Delle Grazie Tower ( mt, Torri tal-Grazzja), Madonna delle Gratie Tower ( mt, Torri tal-Madonna tal-Grazzja) or Blata Bajda Tower ( mt, Torri tal-Blata l-Bajd ...

that stood close to the present battery. The tower was demolished to clear the field of fire of the present battery. The battery was abandoned in 1910 and its guns were removed. However, in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

the battery was used as a coastal defence search light battery. At this time some structures were added to accommodate the searchlights.

Present day

The battery is now under the care of the Xgħajra Local Council. Part of the battery serves as the town hall for the locality, while the rest of the battery was partially restored in collaboration with Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna. It was planned that the battery will be opened to the public and form the focal point for a public space, Battery Park. The battery is currently in a dilapidated state, with most of its outer revetment walls having collapsed into the ditch. In 2015, the battery was shortlisted as a possible site for the campus of the proposed

American University of Malta The American University of Malta (AUM) is a private, American-style liberal arts college in Cospicua, Malta. It is a co-educational institution and its launch was announced in May 2015. The project was intended to regenerate the South of Malta a ...

. It was not chosen, and the campus is to be split up between Dock No. 1 in

Cospicua Cospicua ( mt, Bormla ), also known by its titles Città Cospicua or Civitas Cottonera, is a double-fortified harbour city in the South Eastern Region of Malta. Along with Birgu and Senglea, it is one of the Three Cities, located within the Grand ...

and Żonqor Point in

Marsaskala Marsaskala ( mt, Wied il-Għajn), also written as Marsascala and abbreviated as M'Skala, is a seaside town in the South Eastern Region of Malta which has grown around the small harbour at the head of Marsaskala Bay, a long, narrow inlet also know ...

Gallery

The gallery below shows views on an anti-clockwise tour of the exterior of the fort. The rear section of the left hand ditch and the right half or the rear ditch are private property and inaccessible to photograph. Image:Battery Plan.JPG , Layout of the Battery, detail from a sign beside the gate. Image:Battery gate.JPG , The modern gate that closes off the causeway. Image:Rear ditch.JPG , looking down the rear ditch away from the causeway. Image:Rear ditch and causway.JPG , Looking along the rear ditch towards the causeway, where the musket ports that command the rear ditch, can be seen. Image:Right hand rear corner.JPG , The corner of the ditch, where the right hand ditch and the rear ditch meet Image:Right hand ditch 2.JPG , Looking towards the rear of the battery along the right hand ditch. Image:Right hand caponnier1.JPG , Looking down the forward ditch, along the line of fire of the right hand

. Image:Forward ditch1.JPG , View along the forward ditch looking towards the right hand caponier. Image:Forward ditch 2.JPG, View along the forward ditch towards the left hand caponier in the distance. Image:Forward ditch and the inside of the battery.JPG , Looking into the battery across the forward ditch. Image:Left hand caponnier 2.JPG , The bomb proof roof of the left hand caponier. Image:Forward ditch and caponnier.JPG , Looking down the left hand ditch of the battery, with the left

nestling in the ditch.

History

Present day

Gallery

References

Further reading