| Vendôme Battery | |
|---|---|
|
Batterija ta' Vendôme | |
| Mellieħa, Malta | |
| Type | Artillery battery |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Controlled by | Private tenant |
| Open to the public | No |
| Condition | Derelict |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1715–1716 |
| Built by | Order of Saint John |
| Materials | Limestone |
Vendôme Battery (Maltese language: Batterija ta' Vendôme), also known as Ta' Maċċu Battery (Maltese language: Batterija ta' Maċċu), is an artillery battery near Armier Bay, limits of Mellieħa, Malta.[1] It was built by the Order of Saint John in 1715–1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands.
History[]
Vendôme Battery was built in 1715–1716 as part of the first building programme of coastal batteries in Malta. It was part of a chain of fortifications that defended the northern coast of Malta, which also included Aħrax Tower, several batteries, redoubts and entrenchments. The nearest fortifications to Vendôme Battery are Qortin Redoubt to the west and Crivelli Redoubt to the east.
The battery was named after Philippe de Vendôme, the Prior of France, who donated 40,000 scudi to construct batteries and redoubts around Malta's coastline. Several other fortifications were named after Vendôme, including a tour-reduit in Marsaxlokk and a number of redoubts.[2][3]
Vendôme Battery was one of the largest batteries to be built in Malta.[4] It has a semi-circular gun platform, having a parapet with nine embrasures. A blockhouse is located at the centre of the battery, and its land front contains a large redan. The entire structure is surrounded by a ditch and glacis.
Present day[]
Today, Vendôme Battery is still mostly intact, but is in a state of neglect. Its ditch is filled with soil and used to grow vegetables, while its walls are in a dilapidated state. Some stonework has been illegally removed to be used in the construction of nearby illegally built boathouses,[5][6] which have also damaged the battery's relationship with the sea.[4]
References[]
- ↑ "Armier - Beautiful, Quiet And Calm Bay". http://www.maltainfoguide.com/armier.html. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ↑ "St. Mary's Gun Battery (aka Trunciera)". Unitedcominoferries.com. http://www.unitedcominoferries.com/gunbattery.html. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ↑ Spiteri, Stephen C. (10 April 2010). "18th Century Hospitaller Coastal Batteries". http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/index.php/Fortifications/18th-century-hospitaller-coastal-batteries.html. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Spiteri, Stephen C. (28 August 2012). "Campaigning for Rihama Battery". http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/index.php/Conservation/campaigning-for-rihama-battery.html. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
- ↑ Said, Edward (October 2009). "More Heritage Threatened". p. 20. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015. http://web.archive.org/web/20150621215725/http://www.ktpmalta.org/wp-content/uploads/tA050.pdf.
- ↑ Zammit, Anne (4 August 2002). "Bastions, batteries and beachrooms". Times of Malta. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20020804/environment/bastions-batteries-and-beachrooms.169705. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
External links[]
The original article can be found at Vendôme Battery and the edit history here.