- Wignacourt towers
The Wignacourt towers are a series of fortifications on the island of
Malta built by the the Knights of Malta.The initial towers of this type were built under the auspices of Grand Master Fra Aloph de Wignacourt. A total of seven towers of this type were constructed, and five remain.
Unlike the later
Lascaris towers andDe Redin towers , the Wignacourt towers were more than simplywatchtowers . Instead they formed significant strongpoints intended to protect vulnerable sections of the coast from attack.The five extant towers built in this style are:
*
St Lucian Tower
*St Thomas Tower
*St. Paul's Bay Tower
*St Mary's Tower
*St. Agatha's Tower Of these, St. Agatha's Tower, is not strictly speaking a Wignacourt tower. Grand Master
Juan de Lascaris-Castellar , Wignacourt's successor, built the tower in the Wignacourt style.Two Wignacourt towers have been demolished:
*
Marsalforn Tower
*Santa Maria delle Grazie Tower
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