Vendôme Tower ( mt, Torri Vendôme, colloquially ''Torri tal-Vandomu'') is a '' tour-reduit'' in

Marsaxlokk Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishermen and history. As at March 2014, the village had a population of 3,534. The ...

, Malta. It was built 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 ...

in 1715 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the coasts of the Maltese Islands. It is the only surviving ''tour-reduit'' in Malta. Today, Vendôme Tower houses the headquarters of Marsaxlokk F.C. The ''tour-reduit'' is also known by several other names, including Vendôme Redoubt ( mt, Ridott ta' Vendôme), Qrajten Redoubt or Craite Redoubt ( mt, Ridott tal-Qrajten) and Fisheries Redoubt.

History

Vendôme Tower was built between 1715 and 1716 as part of the Order of Saint John's first building program of coastal fortifications. It was one of four ''tour-reduits'' built in Malta, with the other three being Fresnoy Redoubt, Spinola Redoubt and

Marsalforn Tower Marsalforn Tower ( mt, Torri ta' Marsalforn) refers to two towers that stood near Marsalforn, in the limits of Xagħra, Gozo, Malta. The first one was built in 1616, as the fourth of six Wignacourt towers, and collapsed in around 1715. The second ...

. However, the others were all demolished, leaving Vendôme Tower as the only one of its kind. The tower was named after

Philippe de Vendôme Philippe is a masculine sometimes feminin given name, cognate to Philip. It may refer to: * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960), King of the Belgians (2013–present) * Philippe (footballer) (born 2000), Brazilian footballer * Prince Philippe, Count ...

, the Grand Prior of France. He was the military advisor who advocated for the building of many batteries and redoubts in Malta. In fact, a number of other batteries and redoubts are also known by the name ''Vendôme Battery'' or ''Vendôme Redoubt''. The structure is essentially a tower-like blockhouse with a square plan. It has sloping walls topped by a parapet, and the walls are pierced with musketry loopholes. The structure was originally surrounded by a ditch, with a drawbridge leading to the main entrance. However, the ditch no longer exists. The interior of the tower consists of two rooms and a staircase leading to the roof. A chapel was also located in the tower. The tower was intended to prevent enemy ships from landing at Marsaxlokk Bay. It was part of a chain of fortifications defending the bay, which also included the large Saint Lucian Tower, two smaller

De Redin towers The De Redin Towers ( mt, Torrijiet ta' De Redin) are a series of small coastal watchtowers built in Malta by the Order of Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast of mainland Malta, eight of which still surv ...

, seven coastal batteries, four redoubts and three entrenchments.

Present day

Today, Vendôme Tower is used as the headquarters of Marsaxlokk F.C., and it is not open to the public. The southern and western walls are in need of restoration.

References

External links

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vendome Tower Redoubts in Malta Fortified towers in Malta Marsaxlokk Hospitaller fortifications in Malta Military installations established in 1715 Marsaxlokk F.C. Headquarters in Malta Limestone buildings in Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands 18th-century fortifications 1715 establishments in Malta