Places of Interest in Qala - St. Anthony Battery

Sitting on the edge of a large slice of land at the eastern-most tip of Gozo, this 290-year-old Knights-era military outpost is one of only two coastal batteries on Malta's sister island that survive.

St. Anthony’s Battery was built as a gun battery for the defence of the coast and the channel between Gozo and Comino.

A UNIQUE BATTERY IN QALA POINT

St. Anthony’s Battery is found in this wind-swept, rugged coastal area of Qala in Gozo. The area on which this fort is built is known as Ras il-Qala (Qala Point) or tal-Vardati, and in fact this battery is also known as the Ras il-Qala Battery. The landscape around the battery has remained virtually unchanged since it was built.

The design of the battery is different from other batteries in the Maltese islands, making it unique.

The only other surviving coastal battery on Gozo is the Qolla l-Bajda Battery in Qbajjar, Żebbuġ. Only a handful remain on mainland Malta.

ALSO KNOWN AS...

Apart from Ras il-Qala Battery, St. Anthony’s Battery is also known as the Qala Battery or the Qala Point Battery. In Maltese locals call it it-Trunċiera (English: The Entrenchment).

Qala St. Anthony Battery

MORE ABOUT THE BATTERY

St. Anthony's Battery was designed by the Knights’ resident engineer Charles François de Mondian and built between 1731 and 1732. The inscription on top of its doorway holds the coat of arms of Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena and the name of Gozo’s governor, Paolo Antonio de Viguier. It reads: “NEL GOVERNO DEL CAV FRA ANTONIO DE VIGUIER”. The date 1732 is inscribed besides it.

St. Anthony's Battery was intended to guard the channel between Gozo and Comino. The battery was proposed in 1730, and construction commenced in 1731 and was largely complete by December 1732. The final finishing touches were made in 1734.

The battery was named after Saint Anthony, as it was built during the reign of António Manoel de Vilhena.

ARCHITECTURE

The battery was designed with a semi-circular gun platform and two block houses at the rear. However, the design was changed and it was built with a semi-hexagonal front. The design of the battery is different from other batteries in the Maltese islands, making it unique.

There is a free-standing redan that has thick walls and musketry loopholes to prevent a landward attack. These are shielded by two flanking traverses, and the land front is also surrounded by a shallow ditch.

In 1770, the battery was armed with three 8-pounder guns with 427 rounds of round shot and 75 rounds of grapeshot, and eight 6-pounder guns with 127 rounds of round shot and 45 rounds of grapeshot.

RESTORATION

The battery was in a dilapidated state for many years. One of the block houses had been demolished, and the gate had collapsed during a storm.

The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Din l-Art Ħelwa, in conjunction with the Qala Local Council and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA), saved it from a crumbling ruin in an extensive restoration in 2007, which was funded by the Planning Authority and the Qala Local Council.

Some of the work was done by Leli Saliba, who was also responsible for the restoration of Isopu Tower. The demolished blockhouse and gateway have both been rebuilt, and now restoration is now almost complete.

SCHEDULED BY MEPA

St. Anthony Battery was scheduled for Grade 1 protection by MEPA as per government notice no. 731 dated 1994.

The battery is managed by Din l’Art Ħelwa and the Qala Local Council.