Cavalier Tower ( mt, Torri tal-Kavalier), also known as Qrendi Tower ( mt, Torri tal-Qrendi) or Captain's Tower ( mt, Torri tal-Kaptan), and previously as Ellul Preziosi Tower ( mt, Torri Ellul Preziosi), is a

tower A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specifi ...

in the town of

Qrendi Qrendi ( mt, Il-Qrendi) is a village in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 2752 people as of March 2014. It is located close to Mqabba, Żurrieq and Siggiewi. Within its boundaries are two well-known Neo ...

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 in the late medieval or early

Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

period, and it is one of the oldest surviving towers in Malta.

History

No records exist on the date of construction of Cavalier Tower. It was possibly built in the late medieval period, when Malta was still part of the Kingdom of Sicily. If this is correct, it would be the only surviving medieval tower in Malta, apart from the ruins of a circular tower in

Xlendi Xlendi is an urban village in Malta situated in the south west of the island of Gozo. It is surrounded by the villages of Munxar, Fontana and Kerċem. The village is administered by Munxar, but has its own coat of arms and motto. From March 2010 ...

. Other historians believe that the tower was built in the 16th or 17th century by the

Order of Saint John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

. It is situated near a 16th-century property, built in 1585. In the 17th century, the tower and residence were modified, when the tower lost most of its defensive architecture. Cavalier Tower was named as such since it housed a Captain ( mt, Kaptan Kavallier) of the Order. The tower has an octagonal plan, and it is the only one in Malta with such a design. It is three stories high, and it has cordons between each floor. A number of box machicolations supported on corbels are located at the crest of its

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...

. The tower's main entrance is located in an adjacent medieval residence, which was originally a mill room or a chapel. The tower is surrounded by a cluster of contemporary buildings and courtyards, which have been called "one of the most interesting examples of architectural development" in Malta. In the early 20th century, an underground shelter was excavated beneath the property to be used during the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

. The tower was included on the Antiquities List of 1925. It is also a Grade 1 scheduled building and list on the

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands The National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) is a heritage register listing the cultural property of Malta. The inventory includes properties such as archaeological sites, fortifications, religious buildings, mo ...

Present day

Today, Cavalier Tower is in good condition. It is a privately owned residence and is not open to the public. It is owned by former MP Marlene Farrugia. A permission to restore the residence, incorporating the tower, was granted by the

Planning Authority A local planning authority (LPA) is the local government body that is empowered by law to exercise urban planning functions for a particular area. They exist in the United Kingdom and India. United Kingdom Mineral planning authorities The role ...

in 2011. It is currently for sale at approximately €4 million.

References

External links

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
{{Historic Watch Towers of Malta Fortified towers in Malta Hospitaller fortifications in Malta Qrendi Limestone buildings in Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands

History

Present day

Further reading

References

External links