Wignacourt Tower
Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt
personally financed the construction
of 6 coastal towers to defend the
coastline of Malta.
The first erected was the tower at St
Paul’s Bay in 1610 and was named
Wignacourt Tower in honour of the
Grand Master.
The Knights of Malta had already
constructed a Coastal Tower in 1605 at
Mgarr Gozo.
This was demolished in 1845 meaning
that Wignacourt Tower is today, the
oldest surviving coastal tower on the
islands. For 39 years, it remained the
only northern defence post until the
Red Tower was erected in 1649.
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