List of fortifications in Malta explained

This is a list of fortifications of Malta.^[1]

Prehistoric fortifications

Name	Image	Location	Built	Status
			Bronze Age	Scant remains^[2]
			c.1450 BC	One bastion intact^[3]
			Bronze Age	Scant remains
			Bronze Age	Scant remains
			Bronze Age	Scant remains
			Bronze Age	Scant remains

Walled cities

Name	Image	Location	Built	Builder	Status
			c.13th–18th centuries	Order of Saint John	Mostly intact, undergoing restoration
			Antiquity–1622^[4]	Crown of Aragon Order of Saint John	Intact. According to Ramon Muntaner (1283) a prominent Aragonite tower existed on the site in the whereabouts of the arch/remains of a Siculo-Norman style villa.^[5] A number of outer towers were places outside the Citadel.^[6]
			1670–18th century	Order of Saint John	Mostly intact^[7]
			1635–18th century	Order of Saint John	Mostly intact^[8]
			Antiquity–1746	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1638–1736	Order of Saint John	Partially intact
			1552–18th century	Order of Saint John	Partially intact
			1566–1570s	Order of Saint John	Mostly intact, partially restored

Forts

Name	Image	Location	Built	Builder	Status
			1910–1912	United Kingdom	Intact, neglected
			1875–1878	United Kingdom	Intact, illegally occupied
			1937–1938	United Kingdom	Ruins
			1749–1760s	Order of Saint John	Intact, redeveloped^[9]
			1876–1888	United Kingdom	Intact, restoration proposed
			1872–1878	United Kingdom	Intact, restoration proposed
			1878–1880	United Kingdom	Intact, used as a rescue corps headquarters and training school^[10]
			1723–1733	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1940s	United Kingdom	Intact, restored
			1878–1880s	United Kingdom	Intact, used as an ammunition depot
			1875–1878	United Kingdom	Intact, used as a school
			1670–1693	Order of Saint John	Intact, neglected
			13th century–1690s	Order of Saint John	Intact, undergoing restoration
			1552–1570s	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1872–1878	United Kingdom	Intact, used as an aquaculture research centre
			1552–1581	Order of Saint John	Demolished, part of the base survives
			1872–1900	United Kingdom	Intact
			1724	Order of Saint John	Intact, neglected
			1879–1883	United Kingdom	Intact, used as an animal sanctuary
			1793–1795	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1852–1856	United Kingdom	Intact, used as housing estates and a school

Towers

See also: Punic-Roman towers in Malta.

Name	Image	Location	Built	Builder	Status
			c. 1274		Angevins	Modified^[11]
			Medieval-Order of St John			Modified to be used as a clock tower and then destroyed in WWII
			1494			Replaced by another tower in 1618 in the close proximity^[12]
			1658	Order of Saint John	Intact, abandoned
			1659	Order of Saint John	Demolished
					Intact
				Order of Saint John	Collapsed
				Order of Saint John	Intact
			Unknown	Unknown	Intact
			1659	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1652	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1605–1607	Order of Saint John	Demolished^[13]
			1658	Order of Saint John	Ruins
			1637	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1658	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1659	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1667	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1637	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1658	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1614–1616	Order of Saint John	Collapsed, some ruins remain
			1661	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1637	Order of Saint John	Intact
			1629	Order of Saint John	Destroyed
			1638	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as a restaurant
			1647–1649	Order of Saint John	Intact
			1638	Order of Saint John	Intact, in the grounds of a hotel
			1658	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as a restaurant
			1610–1611	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as an aquaculture research centre
			1658	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1618	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1620	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1614	Order of Saint John	Intact
			1638	Order of Saint John	Intact, restoration planned
			1725-1726	Order of Saint John	Intact
^[14]				Arab period	Ruins
				Order of Saint John	Intact
			1659	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1659	Order of Saint John	Intact
			1610	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as a museum
			1650	Order of Saint John	Intact, undergoing restoration
			1659	Order of Saint John	Ruins
			1659	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			Unknown	Possible a dejma post in origins; present structure a 19th-century watch tower	Intact, partially restored and partially reconstructed
				Order of Saint John	Unknown (no longer exists)^[15]

Notes:

• For privately built towers, see List of fortifications of Malta#Fortified houses and privately built towers.

Batteries

Name	Image	Location	Built	Builder	Status
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, abandoned
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as a restaurant
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished, ditch survives
			1878–1886	United Kingdom	Intact, restoration planned
			1799	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1798–1799	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1793	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1888–1893	United Kingdom	Intact, restoration planned
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as a restaurant
			1889–1894	United Kingdom	Intact, restoration planned
			1715	Order of Saint John	Ruins
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1799	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1854–1856	United Kingdom	Intact
			1757	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1714	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1761	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1897–1899	United Kingdom	Partially demolished, one gun emplacement survives.
			1715	Order of Saint John	Heavily altered
			1715	Order of Saint John	Ruins
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as a restaurant and swimming pool
			1716	Order of Saint John	Intact, abandoned
			1715	Order of Saint John	Ruins
			1715	Order of Saint John	Ruins
			1714	Order of Saint John	Mostly intact, restoration planned
			1878–1886	United Kingdom	Intact, restored
			1731–1732	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1715	Order of Saint John	Battery partially intact, tower intact
			1715	Order of Saint John	Battery demolished, tower intact
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1881–1886	United Kingdom	Intact, abandoned
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1602	Order of Saint John	Destroyed, ditch survives
			1798–1799	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Tower intact, battery rebuilt on modern interpretative lines.
			1560s	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1872–1876	United Kingdom	Intact, used as a restaurant
			1889–1894	United Kingdom	Demolished
			1799	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1887–1890s	United Kingdom	Intact, restoration planned
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished. The church around which the battery was built still exists.
			1722	Order of Saint John	Demolished, ditch survives
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, dilapidated
			1715	Order of Saint John	Blockhouse intact, gun platform destroyed
			1715	Order of Saint John	Gun platform intact, blockhouse heavily altered
			1715	Order of Saint John	Battery mostly intact, tower intact
			1714	Order of Saint John	Blockhouse intact, gun platform destroyed
			1897–1899	United Kingdom	Intact
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished (one cannon remains)
			1882–1886	United Kingdom	Intact, used as a farm

Notes:

• Batteries located within larger fortifications are not included in the above list unless they are notable in their own right. Such batteries include:
  • De Guiral Battery in Fort Saint Angelo
  • Grunenburgh's Batteries in Fort Saint Angelo, Valletta and Senglea
  • Low Battery in the Cittadella
  • Several other batteries within the fortifications of Birgu
• Anti-aircraft batteries built in World War II are also not included.

Redoubts

Name	Image	Location	Built	Builder	Status
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as a bar^[16]
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as a police station
			1715	Order of Saint John	Ruins
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished^[17]
			1720	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Partially intact
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact
			1799	Kingdom of Great Britain	Demolished
			1716	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1799	Kingdom of Great Britain	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1715	Order of Saint John	Ruins
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, used as a football club headquarters
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished. The windmill around which the redoubt was built still exists.
			1715	Order of Saint John	Intact, restored
			1715	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1798	Maltese insurgents	Demolished

Entrenchments

Name	Image	Location	Built	Builder	Status
			1761	Order of Saint John	Demolished
			1761	Order of Saint John	Partially intact
			1723–1732	Order of Saint John	Ruins
				Order of Saint John	Partially intact
			1761	Order of Saint John	Never completed Largely intact
				Order of Saint John	Short stretch intact
			1722	Order of Saint John	Partially intact
			1761	Order of Saint John	Short stretch survives in ruins
				Order of Saint John	Few remains survive
			1720	Order of Saint John	Few remains survive
				Order of Saint John	Short stretch intact
			1799	Kingdom of Great Britain	Demolished
			1761	Order of Saint John	Partially intact
			1761	Order of Saint John	Never completed Largely intact
			1761	Order of Saint John	Short stretches intact
			1761	Order of Saint John	Ruins
			1761	Order of Saint John	Ruins

Notes:

• Entrenchments were originally planned to be built around the entire coastline of the Maltese Islands. The ones listed here are those of which some remains survive, or which are definitely known to have existed.

Lines of fortification

Name	Image	Location	Built	Builder	Status
			1871–1880	United Kingdom	Mostly intact
			1875–1899	United Kingdom	Partially intact^[18]

Notes:

• The Floriana Lines, Santa Margherita Lines and the Cottonera Lines are also lines of fortification, but they are listed with the walled cities since they are close to settlements.

Stop walls

• The 'stop wall' that plugged a fortification gap in Wied Żnuber

Fortified houses and privately built towers

• Ta' Cirpisin Tower
• Castellan Country House

Name	Image	Location	Built	Builder	Status
			1702 or 1775		Destroyed during WWII^[19]
					Intact
					Intact
					Intact. Built before 1649.^[20] Also known as tas-Sarretta Tower.^[21] Intact but machicolations removed. They appear to were still partially intact on 21 August 1933.^[22]
					Intact
					Intact
					Demolished, some stonework survives
					Dismantled; stonework used to build farmhouses^[23] ^[24]
					Intact, restored
					Intact, converted into a farmhouse
					Destroyed during WWII
					Intact
				D'Aurel Family	Intact
					Intact and used as a rural building with a close by watermill.^[25]
					Intact
					Intact. Also known as Tal-Kwies Tower.^[26]
			18th century		Unprofessionally modified in 1758
					Intact

Notes and References

1. Book: Castagna, P. P.. Malta bil chzejer tehne u li ghadda min ghaliha. 1. 1865. mt. 166–168.
2. Web site: Maltese fortifcations . www.um.edu.mt . 2020-06-04.
3. Web site: Bugeja . www.viatransfer.viastoria.ch . 2020-06-04.
4. Sacra Militia. Cassar. George. 2014. Defending a Mediterranean island outpost of the Spanish Empire – the case of Malta. 13. 59–68.
5. Festa Santa Marija. Attard. Anton F. 2012. Il-Castrum Terre Gaudisii u l-Origini tal-Matrici tal-Assunta f'Ghawdex. 9. 70–77. Leone Philharmonic Society.
6. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/15356/1/Barumbari%20Giren%20and%20Mgiebah%20-%20Vernacular%20gems%20in%20oblivion.pdf
7. Web site: Data . www.um.edu.mt . 2020-06-04.
8. Web site: Info . www.um.edu.mt . 2020-06-04.
9. Web site: Forzi . www.um.edu.mt . 2020-06-04.
10. Web site: Fortizza . www.um.edu.mt . 2020-06-04.
11. Journal of Maltese History. Vella. John. 2016. The Rock-cut Church of Bormla: Origins and Developments. 60. 5. 1. University of Malta. https://web.archive.org/web/20180620175248/https://www.um.edu.mt/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/310729/JMH-2016JohnVella.pdf. 20 June 2018.
12. Book: Guillaumier, Alfie. 2002. Bliet u Rhula Maltin. 1. Klabb Kotba Maltin. 99932-39-15-1. 129.
13. Web site: It-Torri ta' GarΩes. www.um.edu.mt. 2020-06-04.
14. Web site: thinksite.eu. www.thinksite.eu.
15. Web site: Fortifikazzjonijiet f'Birżebbuġa. 19 August 2011.
16. Web site: Data . www.um.edu.mt . 2020-06-04.
17. Web site: Batterji . www.um.edu.mt . 2020-06-04.
18. Web site: Victoria lines . www.um.edu.mt . 2020-06-04.
19. Web site: 300 Sena ilu nbniet Il-Kappella ta' Sant'Anġlu ta' Ħal Far . sanpietru.wordpress.com. 19 July 2011 .
20. Web site: page 98.
21. National Archives, Malta: Gozo Collection. Old Photos Catalogue. Planning Authority. https://web.archive.org/web/20200530204356/https://mgozcms.gov.mt/en/nag/Documents/PAPhotoAlbums.pdf. 30 May 2020. 48.
22. Web site: It-Torri ta' Cardona, Gharb, Road Rabat, Gozo. https://web.archive.org/web/20200530211642/https://classic.europeana.eu/portal/en/record/2020731/DR_2901.html. 30 May 2020. Europeana.
23. Bugeja . Anton . Clemente Tabone: The man, his family and the early years of St Clement's Chapel . The Turkish Raid of 1614 . 2014 . 42–57 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180620141601/https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/35672725/chapter04_final_Clemente_Tabone.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1529504613&Signature=grPUX4FKDtCqw60ifLpaEPlCqew%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DClemente_Tabone_The_Man_his_family_and_t.pdf . 20 June 2018.
24. Web site: Abela . Joe . Brincat . Anthony M. . Santa Maria ta' Ħal Tmin ~ Żejtun ~ . Kappelli Maltin . https://web.archive.org/web/20170620055527/http://www.ciantar.org/kappellimaltin/Il-Kappelli/Sett07/ZTN_SM_Hal_Tmin/ztn_sm_hal_tmin.html . 20 June 2017 . mt.
25. Web site: Independent . Malta . Irrational With Marsascala: shocking building proposals for scheduled properties . The Malta Independent . 2006-06-18 . 2020-06-04.
26. Web site: Tal-Kwies Tower – PLAKKASTORJA . 15 December 2018 . Plakkastorja.home.blog . 2020-06-04.