Ramla Left Battery ( mt, Batterija tax-Xellug tar-Ramla), also known as Belancourt Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Belancourt) or Xagħra Battery ( mt, Batterija tax-Xagħra), was 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 ...
in
Ramla Bay
Ramla Bay (, "red sands") is a bay with a beach of reddish-coloured sand in Gozo, in the Maltese Islands. It lies on the north-east coast of the island, between the bays of Marsalforn and San Blas. The closest village is Xagħra.
Planning permis ...
, limits of
Xagħra on the island of
Gozo
Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...
,
Malta. It was built by the
Order of Saint John in 1715–1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands. The battery now lies in ruins.
History
Ramla Left Battery was built in 1715–1716 as part of the first building programme of coastal batteries in Malta. It was one of several fortifications in Ramla Bay that also included
Ramla Right Battery
Ramla Right Battery ( mt, Batterija tal-Lemin tar-Ramla), also known as Gironda Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Gironda) or Nadur Battery ( mt, Batterija tan-Nadur), was an artillery battery in Ramla Bay, limits of Nadur on the island of Gozo, Malta. ...
on the opposite side of the bay and
Ramla Redoubt in the centre. These were all linked together by an
entrenchment wall. Ramla Bay was further defended by
Marsalforn Tower on the plateau above the bay, and an underwater barrier to prevent enemy ships from landing within the bay.
The battery originally had an irregularly shaped gun platform with a parapet having six embrasures. A small blockhouse was located at the rear of the battery. Construction cost around 295 scudi.
[
The battery saw use during the French invasion of Malta in 1798, when it fired on the approaching French fleet.
]
Present day
Today, all that remains of the battery are some ruins.
References
External links
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
Artillery battery fortifications in Malta
Hospitaller fortifications in Malta
Military installations established in 1715
Ruins in Malta
Xagħra
Limestone buildings in Malta
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
18th-century fortifications
1715 establishments in Malta
18th Century military history of Malta
{{Malta-struct-stub