Sciuta Tower

Sciuta Tower
Torri ta' Xutu
Part of the Lascaris towers
Qrendi, Malta

Sciuta Tower
Coordinates 35°49′9.62″N 14°27′12.97″E / 35.8193389°N 14.4536028°E / 35.8193389; 14.4536028
Type Coastal watchtower
Site information
Owner Government of Malta
Controlled by Din l-Art Ħelwa
Open to
the public		 No
Condition Intact
Site history
Built 1638
Built by Order of Saint John
In use 1638–1873
1940s
Materials Limestone
Battles/wars World War II

Sciuta Tower (Maltese: Torri ta' Xuta), also known as Sciutu Tower (Maltese: Torri ta' Xutu) or Wied iż-Żurrieq Tower (Maltese: Torri ta' Wied iż-Żurrieq), is a small watchtower in Qrendi, Malta. It was completed in 1638 as the fifth of the Lascaris towers. The tower was in a dilapidated state but it is currently being restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa.

History

Sciutu Tower was built in 1638 in Wied iż-Żurrieq, close to Qrendi, on the site of a medieval watch post.[1] It served as the prototype for the De Redin towers, which were built between 1658 and 1659.[2]

After the British took over Malta in 1800, Sciutu Tower remained in use and was manned by the Royal Malta Fencible Regiment and later the Royal Malta Fencible Artillery. It was abandoned in 1873 but was manned by the Coast Police once again during World War II. The tower subsequently used as a police station until 2002. An original cannon dating back to the Order's rule can still be found on the tower's roof.

Present day

The tower viewed from the east

In March 2013, Din l-Art Ħelwa was entrusted by the Government with the conservation of this tower for a period of 10 years.[3]

In September 2014, the tower and the surrounding area was cleaned of waste and debris by Din l-Art Ħelwa volunteers as well as the Qrendi Scouts.[4] The tower underwent restoration conservation until 2016, and is expected to be opened to the public by 2017.[5]

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Zammit, Vincent (1984). "Fortifications in the Middle Ages". Civilization. Ħamrun: PEG Ltd. 1: 33.
  2. ↑ Attard, David P. "The De Redin Tower". Armed Forces of Malta. Archived from the original on 31 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "Din l-Art Helwa to manage Wied iż-Żurrieq Tower". Times of Malta. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2014.
  4. ↑ "Wied iz Zurrieq tower gets much-needed clean-out". Times of Malta. 7 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  5. ↑ "Corporate Responsibility". Malta International Airport. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Torri ta' Xutu.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/26/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.