Cavalier Tower

Cavalier Tower (Maltese: Torri tal-Kavalier),[2] also known as Qrendi Tower (Maltese: Torri tal-Qrendi) or Captain's Tower (Maltese: Torri tal-Kaptan), is a tower in the town of Qrendi, Malta. It was built in the late medieval or early Hospitaller period, and it is one of the oldest surviving towers in Malta.

Cavalier Tower
Torri tal-Kavalier
Qrendi, Malta
Cavalier Tower in 2017
Coordinates35°50′10.7″N 14°27′28.6″E
TypeTower
Site information
OwnerMarlene Farrugia
Open to
the public		No
ConditionIntact
Site history
Built byUnknown, possibly Order of Saint John
In useYes, as residence and office
MaterialsLimestone
Address: 32, "Torri tal-Kaptan", Tower Road, Qrendi[1]

History

No records exist on the date of construction of Cavalier Tower. It was possibly built in the late medieval period, when Malta was still part of the Kingdom of Sicily. If this is correct, it would be the only surviving medieval tower in Malta, apart from the ruins of a circular tower in Xlendi. Other historians believe that the tower was built in the 16th or 17th centuries by the Order of Saint John.[3] It is situated near a 16th-century property, built in 1585.[4] In the 17th century, the tower and residence were modified, when the tower lost most of its defensive architecture.[5]

Cavalier Tower was named as such since it housed a Captain (Maltese: Kaptan Kavallier) of the Order.[6]

The tower has an octagonal plan,[7] and it is the only one in Malta with such a design. It is three stories high, and it has cordons between each floor.[8] A number of box machicolations supported on corbels are located at the crest of its parapet. The tower's main entrance is located in an adjacent medieval residence, which was originally a mill room or a chapel.[8]

The tower is surrounded by a cluster of contemporary buildings and courtyards, which have been called "one of the most interesting examples of architectural development" in Malta. In the early 20th century, an underground shelter was excavated beneath the property to be used during the Second World War.[8]

The tower was included on the Antiquities List of 1925.[9] It is also a Grade 1 scheduled building and list on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[5]

Present day

Today, Cavalier Tower is in good condition. It is a privately owned residence and is not open to the public.[5] It is owned by MP Marlene Farrugia.[10][11] A permission to restore the residence, incorporating the tower, was granted by the Planning Authority in 2011.[12] It is currently for sale at approximately €4 million.[4][13]

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References
  1. p. 13
  2. Cassar Pullicino, Joseph (October–December 1949). "The Order of St. John in Maltese folk-memory" (PDF). Scientia. 15 (4): 159. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2016.
  3. Spiteri, Stephen C. (May 2008). "A Medieval tower at Qrendi?" (PDF). Arx - Online Journal of Military Architecture and Fortification. 6: 58–59. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2016.
  4. "Highly converted palazzo in Qredndi's UCA". Engel & Völkels. 2006–2016. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016.
  5. "Qrendi Tower - Torre Cavalieri" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  6. "The Qrendi Cavalier Tower". Qrendi Scouts. Archived from the original on 6 May 2005. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  7. Abela, Giovanni Francesco (1647). Della Descrizione di Malta Isola nel Mare Siciliano con le sue Antichità, ed Altre Notizie (in Italian). Paolo Bonacota. p. 207.
  8. "One World - Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of the Maltese islands (22) - Torri tal-Kaptan, Qrendi". Times of Malta. 18 July 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  9. "Protection of Antiquities Regulations 21st November, 1932 Government Notice 402 of 1932, as Amended by Government Notices 127 of 1935 and 338 of 1939". Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016.
  10. Vella, Matthew (4 June 2017). "[WATCH] People blinded by Labour's largesse, Marlene Farrugia says in video message". Malta Today.
  11. "Marlene Farrugia: Speaking out from the backbench (full interview)". The Malta Independent. 10 December 2013.
  12. "Kastilja tordna li ma jsirux attakki fuq Marlene Farrugia". illum (in Maltese). 1 June 2015.
  13. Fino, Wayne. "Qrendi, Converted Palazzo". Frank Salt. Archived from the original on 20 June 2017.
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