Pinto Battery
| Pinto Battery | |
|---|---|
Batterija ta' Pinto | |
| Birżebbuġa, Malta | |
 Pinto Battery's blockhouse | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Artillery battery |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Controlled by | Private tenants |
| Open to the public | No |
| Condition | Blockhouse intact but heavily altered, gun platform largely destroyed |
| Location | |
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| Coordinates | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1715–1716 |
| Built by | Order of Saint John |
| Materials | Limestone |
Pinto Battery (Maltese: Batterija ta' Pinto), also known as Għżira Battery (Maltese: Batterija ta' Għżira) or Kechakara Battery,[1] is a former artillery battery in Birżebbuġa, Malta. It was built by the Order of Saint John in 1715 and 1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the coasts of the Maltese Islands. The battery has been heavily altered over time, and the blockhouse now houses a bar and a garage, while the gun platform and parapet have been largely destroyed, with only the general outline still visible.
History
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Pinto Battery was built in 1715-1716 as part of the first building programme of coastal batteries in Malta. It was part of a chain of fortifications that defended Marsaxlokk Bay, which also included six other batteries, the large Saint Lucian Tower, two smaller De Redin towers, four redoubts and three entrenchments.[2] Construction of the battery cost 1109 scudi.[3]
The battery originally consisted of a semi-circular gun platform, with a parapet containing eight embrasures. Its gorge had a large rectangular blockhouse protected by a redan. The battery's entrance was located within the redan.[4] It was originally armed with cannons.[2]
Present day
[edit | edit source]The battery has undergone major alterations over time, being largely destroyed in the process. The redan has been destroyed, while the blockhouse is a bar and a garage. The general outline of the semi-circular gun platform is still visible, although the parapet with embrasures no longer exists.[4]
References
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External links
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- Artillery battery fortifications in Malta
- Hospitaller fortifications in Malta
- Military installations established in 1715
- Birżebbuġa
- Limestone buildings in Malta
- National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
- 18th-century fortifications
- 1715 establishments in Malta
- 18th Century military history of Malta
- Maltese building and structure stubs