Saint Thomas Tower
| Saint Thomas Tower & Battery | |
|---|---|
| Torri u Batterija ta' San Tumas | |
| Part of the Wignacourt towers | |
| Marsaskala, Malta | |
View of Saint Thomas Tower and its battery
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Map of St. Thomas Tower and its battery
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| Coordinates | 35°51′40.3″N 14°34′21″E / 35.861194°N 14.57250°E |
| Type | Bastioned coastal watchtower Artillery battery |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Controlled by | Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna |
| Condition | Intact |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1614 (tower) 1715 (battery) |
| Built by | Order of Saint John |
| In use | 1614–19th century |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Battles/wars | Siege of Malta (1798–1800) |
Saint Thomas Tower (Maltese: Torri ta' San Tumas), also known as Fort Saint Thomas (Maltese: Forti San Tumas), is a large bastioned watchtower in Marsaskala, Malta. It was built in 1614, the third of six Wignacourt towers. An artillery battery was added to the tower in the early 18th century.
Saint Thomas Tower is the largest watchtower in Malta.
Saint Thomas Tower was built above the shore on the seaward face of the headland of il-Hamriga in Marsaskala. It is a substantial fortification intended to prevent the landing of troops in the sheltered anchorages of Marsaskala Creek and St Thomas Bay. Construction of the tower was approved in July 1614, at the time of the raid of Żejtun, in which an Ottoman fleet managed to land at St Thomas Bay. The tower was named after a chapel dedicated to St Thomas which stood close to where the tower now lies. It cost 13,450 scudi, 6 tari and 4 grani to build, making it the second most expensive Wignacourt tower, after Saint Mary's Tower.
The tower's architect is unknown. There are claims that it was designed by Vittorio Cassar, but these are disputed since Cassar was probably dead when work on the tower began.
The tower has very thick walls and has four pentagonal bastioned turrets projecting outwards on each corner. The tower's entrance was through a vaulted doorway with a wooden drawbridge. The drawbridge is still partially intact and it is the only original one to have survived in Malta. The tower is surrounded by a rock-hewn ditch.
After the De Redin towers were built, St Thomas had Żonqor and Xrobb l-Għaġin Towers in its line of sight, but these are now either in ruins or completely demolished.
In 1715, St Thomas Tower was reinforced by the addition of a battery on the seaward face. Construction of the battery cost a total of 382 scudi, 8 tarì, 11 grani and 1 piccolo, which was less than the cost of construction of other batteries around the coast.
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Wikipedia