Type Tower Open to
the public No Built by Fra Bernardo Macedonia Year built 1613 | Owner Private Condition Intact Materials Limestone Material Limestone | |
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Similar Vincenti Tower, Triq il‑Wiesgħa Tower, Gauci Tower, Torre dello Standardo, Vendôme Tower | ||
Santa Cecilia Tower (Maltese: Torri ta' Santa Ċeċilja or Torri ta' Santa Ċilja) is a tower in Għajnsielem, Gozo, Malta. It was built in 1613 by a member of the Order of St. John, and it could relay messages across the island. Today, the tower is in good condition and it is a private residence.
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History
Santa Cecilia Tower was built in 1613 by Fra Bernardo Macedonia, Commander of Artillery of the Order of St. John. It got its name from the nearby Santa Cecilia Chapel, which is the oldest surviving chapel on Gozo. The chapel eventually became an ancillary building to the tower.
The tower was able to communicate with the batteries at Ramla Bay as well as Mġarr ix-Xini Tower, so it could relay messages across Gozo. It was also able to provide refuge for the local population in case of a corsair raid.
Today, the tower is a private residence. It was included on the Antiquities List of 1925. The tower is now scheduled as a Grade 1 monument, and it is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.
Architecture
Santa Cecilia Tower is a small rectangular structure. It is rather plain, but it has finials and other decorative features.