| Cavalier Tower | |
| Native Name: | Torri tal-Kavalier |
| Location: | Qrendi, Malta |
| Type: | Tower |
| Coordinates: | 35.8363°N 14.4579°W |
| Ownership: | Marlene Farrugia |
| Open To Public: | No |
| Used: | Yes, as residence and office |
| Builder: | Unknown, possibly Order of Saint John |
| Materials: | Limestone |
| Condition: | Intact |
| Footnotes: | Address: 32, "Torri tal-Kaptan", Tower Road, Qrendi[1] |
Cavalier Tower (Maltese: Torri tal-Kavalier),[2] also known as Qrendi Tower (Maltese: Torri tal-Qrendi) or Captain's Tower (Maltese: Torri tal-Kaptan), and previously as Ellul Preziosi Tower (Maltese: Torri Ellul Preziosi), is a tower in the town of Qrendi, Malta. It was built in the late medieval or early Hospitaller period, and it is one of the oldest surviving towers in Malta.
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. Other historians believe that the tower was built in the 16th or 17th century by the Order of Saint John.[3] It is situated near a 16th-century property, built in 1585.[4] 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 (Maltese: Kaptan Kavallier) of the Order.[5]
The tower has an octagonal plan,[6] and it is the only one in Malta with such a design. It is three stories high, and it has cordons between each floor.[7] A number of box machicolations supported on corbels are located at the crest of its parapet. The tower's main entrance is located in an adjacent medieval residence, which was originally a mill room or a chapel.[7]
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.[7] The tower was included on the Antiquities List of 1925.[8] It is also a Grade 1 scheduled building and list on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.
Today, Cavalier Tower is in good condition. It is a privately owned residence and is not open to the public.[9] It is owned by former MP Marlene Farrugia.[10] [11] A permission to restore the residence, incorporating the tower, was granted by the Planning Authority in 2011.[12] It is currently for sale at approximately €4 million.[4] [13]