Have you ever just stumbled upon a spot that is absolutely breathtaking? St Anthony’s Battery in Qala, Gozo, is one such gem, but it needs some TLC. And the Qala Local Council is trying to apply for funds to continue with the restoration works to keep this gorgeous location on Malta’s sister isle alive.

A little bit about the Battery

St Anthony’s Battery is an artillery battery built back when the Knights were occupying our lands between 1731 and 1732. It was built as part of a series of coastal fortifications at various points on the Maltese Islands.

Interestingly, it is one of two surviving batteries in Gozo, the other being that in Zebbug - Qolla l-Bajda Battery. This battery has other names (as many historical sites do on the Maltese Islands) namely Qala Battery, Qala Point Battery and locally known as It-Trunciera.

The Battery in its glory days

The battery’s finishing touches were finalised in 1734, and it was named after St Anthony since it was built during the reign of Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. Some say that it was possibly designed by Charles Francois de Mondion, a military engineer and architect who worked on our islands and was a member of the Order.

The battery was home to three eight-pounder guns providing 427 rounds of roundshot and 75 rounds of grapeshot, and eight six-pounder guns with 127 rounds of roundshot and 45 rounds of grapeshot. You wouldn’t want to be in the way of this bad boy!

The Battery today

Unfortunately, the battery is in a bit of a state and has been dilapidated for a number of years. The gate collapsed during a storm and one of the building’s blockhouses was knocked down.

Local heritage organisation Din L-Art Helwa was been restoring this site since 2007, in collaboration with the Qala Local Council and what was the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Since restoration works began, both the gate and blockhouse have been rebuilt and thankfully, the landscape around this area has remained mostly intact.

Have you ever visited St Anthony's Battery?