Tigné Point

Tigné Point is a peninsula in Sliema, Malta. The area was originally occupied by several fortifications and a British barracks complex, which were left derelict for many years, until the area was redeveloped in the early 21st century. The area now contains many modern buildings and is popular among both locals and tourists.

The peninsula was originally known as Punta di Santa Maria, and its extremity is also known as Dragut Point.

The local militia had a small watch post on what is now Tigné Point in 1417. During the Great Siege of Malta of 1565, the Ottoman admiral Dragut stationed a number of cannons at Tigné Point in a siege to capture Fort Saint Elmo from the Order of Saint John. He was killed by stray gunfire from the fort during the siege, and the extremity of the peninsula still bears his name, Dragut Point.

After the Great Siege, a chapel dedicated to Our Lady under various titles was built instead of a niche that was already in the area. In 1757, Lembi Battery was built in the area, and it became obsolete in 1792, when the Order built its last major fortification, Fort Tigné. The new fort, which later gave the area its name, played a significant role in the French invasion of 1798 and the subsequent Maltese uprising.

Between 1878 and 1886, when Malta was under British rule, Cambridge Battery was built on Tigné Point to house a single 100-ton gun. In the 1890s, Garden Battery was built to cover the area between Cambridge Battery and Fort Tigné. The British also built military barracks and a chapel dedicated to St. Luke on the peninsula.

When the British forces left in 1979, the barracks and the whole area fell into decay and neglect. Parts of both Fort Tigné and the British barracks were plundered or vandalized. Garden Battery was buried and buildings were constructed over it, while Cambridge Battery was used as a restaurant, hotel and swimming pool.

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