Vincenti Tower : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vincenti Tower

Fortified tower in Mqabba, Malta

35°50′51.9″N 14°28′5.2″E / 35.847750°N 14.468111°E / 35.847750; 14.468111Named forFra Orfeo de VincenzoCompleted1726Demolished1940s (partially)OwnerPrivateTechnical detailsMaterialLimestoneFloor count4

Vincenti Tower (Maltese: Torri Vinċenti) is a tower in Mqabba, Malta.^[1] It was built in 1726 by Fra Orfeo de Vincenzo, a Prior of the Order of St. John. It forms part of a countryside residence, which also includes a palace/farmhouse known as Ta' Torri Spero, and a garden between the palace and the tower.^[2]

The tower was originally four stories high, with a balcony on its second floor, and it had a scarped base which made it somewhat similar to coastal watchtowers such as the De Redin towers. The tower had a coat of arms and an inscription commemorating its construction, but these are now lost.^[2]

On 2 June 1941, during World War II, the British military requisitioned the tower from its owner Sir William John England, and used it as an observation post. It was prone to aerial bombardment due to its proximity to the RAF Luqa airfield. It was hit on 12 April 1942, and the bottom floor was substantially damaged although the structure did not collapse.^[2]

However, the Royal Air Force later decided to pull down the tower since it was deemed dangerous to the nearby airfield. The upper sections were pulled down, but the scarped ground floor and part of the first floor were retained.^[2]

Today, the remains of the tower as well as the nearby garden and farmhouse are private property.^[3]^[4] The tower was included on the Antiquities List of 1925 as "the old tower",^[5] and it was scheduled as a Grade 1 monument by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in 1997.^[6] It is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.^[7]

References

^ "Vandals attack historic buildings following residents' construction complaints". 26 April 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lia, Carmen (10 April 1996). "Imqabba: The Tower of Vincenti". southwestmalta.info. Archived from the original on 21 June 2016.
^ "Farmhouse in Mqabba". Doors Real Estate Services. Archived from the original on 21 June 2016.
^ "Ta Torri – Has Washer". TripAdvisor. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016.
^ "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. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
^ "L-Istorja tal-Imqabba". Mqabba Local Council (in Maltese). Archived from the original on 22 November 2015.
^ "Torre Vincenti" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 28 June 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2015.