Malta’s lost landmarks! Decades old photo shows the now destroyed Birgu clock tower
It was destroyed in World War II.
A photo shared by Paul Debattista from decades ago shows a Maltese historic landmark that unfortunately no longer exists today.
The Birgu Clock Tower otherwise known as the Vittoriosa Clock Tower or the Civic Clock Tower was located in Birgu’s Victory Square.
It prominently overlooked Malta’s three cities and it dated all the way back to the Middle Ages, even though some argue that it was built later in the 16th century.
The tower served the Knights of St John incredibly well during the Great Siege of Malta as it had views of the Grand Harbour and the surrounding areas.
However, it was not always a clock tower as the clock was only installed in the 17th century.
Unfortunately, this historic landmark was significantly destroyed during the air raids of World War II. A bomb that fell nearby caused the tower's structure to collapse between the night of the 11th and 12th April, 1942. What remained of the tower was destroyed by another bomb two weeks later
Nowadays, only some of the foundations of the tower still exist and some of Birgu's residents are even in favour of the tower being rebuilt once again from scratch.
Do you think it should be rebuilt?
Facebook/Paul Debattista via Our Islands Photography and Art