Għallis Battery
| Għallis Battery | |
|---|---|
| Batterija tal-Għallis | |
| Magħtab, Naxxar, Malta | |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Type | Artillery battery |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Condition | Sparse remains |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1715–1716 |
| Built by | Order of Saint John |
| Materials | Limestone |
Għallis Battery (Maltese: Batterija tal-Għallis), also known as Pondéves Battery,[1] was an artillery battery in Magħtab, limits of Naxxar, Malta. It was built in 1715–1716 by the Order of Saint John as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands.[2] The battery has been largely destroyed, but some remains can still be seen.
History
Għallis Battery was built in 1715–1716 as part of the first building programme of coastal batteries in Malta. The nearest fortifications to the battery were Għallis Tower to the west and Qalet Marku Redoubt to the southeast (now demolished).
The battery had a semi-circular gun platform.[3] It was to be surrounded by a ditch, but it was only partially excavated and was never completed.
In World War II, an emplacement was built on the remains of the blockhouse, possibly for a small field gun.
Present day
Today, very little remains of the battery survive. Part of one wall of the blockhouse still exists, the partially excavated ditch, and the general outline of the battery's foundations can also be seen.
