Santa Maria delle Grazie Tower, Military tower in Xgħajra, Malta.
Santa Maria delle Grazie Tower was a military fortification on the eastern shore of Grand Harbour, featuring four corner bastions and a staircase leading to its entrance. The structure combined thick defensive walls with an integrated chapel for religious purposes.
Built in 1620 as the final Wignacourt tower to be constructed, it served as a key defensive post for the region. British forces demolished it in 1888 when it no longer served military purposes.
The tower housed a chapel dedicated to Madonna della Grazie, where faith and military defense coexisted in daily life. This blend of prayer and protection shaped how locals experienced the fortification.
The site is marked today by Triq it-Torri ta' Alof de Wignacourt street in Xgħajra, which preserves the tower's former location in the town's layout. No physical structures remain at the spot where visitors can observe today.
The construction cost of 4948 scudi revealed it was smaller in scale than other towers in the Wignacourt system. Yet this more modest fortification still carried substantial weaponry to defend its position effectively.
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