Saint George Redoubt ( mt, Ridott ta' San Ġorġ) is a

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

Birżebbuġa Birżebbuġa (; sometimes shortened to B'Buġa) is a seaside town in the Southern Region of Malta, close to Marsaxlokk. It is approximately from the capital Valletta, and it has a population of 9,736 as of March 2014. The town is popular amon ...

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 1714–1716 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 ...

as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands, and it got its name from a chapel dedicated to St. George which was incorporated within the redoubt. Today, the redoubt and chapel still exist and they are in good condition.

History

The site has been inhabited since the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

and

silo A silo (from the Greek σιρός – ''siros'', "pit for holding grain") is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store fermented feed known as silage, not to be confused with a grain bin, which is used t ...

s of the period are still found at the coast next to the redoubt. Saint George Redoubt was built in 1714–1716 as part of the first building programme of coastal batteries in Malta. It was part of a chain of fortifications that defended Marsaxlokk Bay, which also included three other redoubts, 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 Knights Hospitaller, Order of Saint John between 1658 and 1659. Thirteen towers were built around the coast of Malta (island), mainl ...

, seven batteries and three entrenchments. The redoubt was built on the site of a cemetery. It incorporated the Chapel of St. George, which had been built in 1683 on the site of an earlier chapel. Apart from being the only Hospitaller redoubt incorporating a church, St. George Redoubt is also unusual since it has a semi-circular shape, while most redoubts were pentagonal. The semi-circular platform is ringed by a low parapet. The walls linking the redoubt to the church are pierced by musketry loopholes, while the doorway had a ditch and a drawbridge. Sometime after 1741, two fougasses were excavated behind the redoubt. They are now located within private houses.

Present day

Today, the chapel and redoubt are managed by the Missionary Society of St Paul. They are both in good condition, and are listed 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, mon ...

References

External links

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
{{Redoubts Redoubts in Malta Hospitaller fortifications in Malta Military installations established in 1715 Birżebbuġa Limestone buildings in Malta Fortified church buildings National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands 18th-century fortifications 1715 establishments in Malta