It was built way back in 1614.
Here in Malta, we have our fair share of towers, castles and forts. Owing to the island’s rich history, the landscape is peppered with buildings dating back hundreds and even thousands of years, harking back to different periods in the Maltese Islands’ story.
But do you recognise the tower in this photograph from the 1960s?
Also referred to as a fort, Saint Thomas Tower (It-Torri ta’ San Tumas in Maltese) or Fort Saint Thomas, is located in Marsascala, a seaside town in the south east of Malta, and was the third of six coastal watchtowers known as the Wignacourt Towers, built by the Order of Saint John between 1610 and 1620.
An artillery battery was added to the tower later on, in the 18th century, and it is the largest of all the watchtowers in Malta!
But while the tower remains relatively unchanged from the 1960s photograph, the landscape around it is a little different nowadays! The town of Marsascala has expanded, surrounding St Thomas Tower with modern buildings, and in 1982, the Jerma Palace Hotel was built between the tower and the coast, which today sadly lies in ruins.
Did you recognise the tower?