Ramla Right Battery
| Ramla Right Battery | |
|---|---|
| Batterija tal-Lemin tar-Ramla | |
| Nadur, Gozo, Malta | |
|
View of Ramla Bay. The remains of the battery are located approximately in the centre of this photo. | |
| Coordinates | 36°3′45.6″N 14°17′12.8″E / 36.062667°N 14.286889°E |
| Type | Artillery battery |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Controlled by | Gaia Foundation |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1715–1716 |
| Built by | Order of Saint John |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Battles/wars | French invasion of Malta (1798) |
Ramla Right Battery (Maltese: Batterija tal-Lemin tar-Ramla), also known as Gironda Battery (Maltese: Batterija ta' Gironda)[1] or Nadur Battery (Maltese: Batterija tan-Nadur),[2] was an artillery battery in Ramla Bay, limits of Nadur on the island of Gozo, Malta. It was built by the Order of Saint John in 1715–1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands. The battery now lies in ruins.
History
Ramla Right Battery was built in 1715–1716 as part of the first building programme of coastal batteries in Malta. It was one of several fortifications in Ramla Bay, which also included Ramla Left Battery on the opposite side of the bay and Ramla Redoubt in the centre. These were all linked together by an entrenchment wall. Ramla Bay was further defended by Marsalforn Tower on the plateau above the bay, and an underwater barrier to prevent enemy ships from landing within the bay.
The battery had a semi-circular parapet with six embrasures, with a blockhouse at the rear. A fougasse was also dug on the shore close to the battery, and it still exists.[3][4]
The battery saw use during the French invasion of Malta in 1798, when it fired on the approaching French fleet.[5]
Present day
Today, only some remains of the battery's blockhouse survive. These remains, along with the rest of Ramla Bay, are managed by the Gaia Foundation.[6]
References
- ↑ (Maltese) Mifsud, Raymond. "It-Trunciera fir-Ramla". Xaghra.com. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
- ↑ "Scheduling of Property - Section 46 of the Development Planning Act, 1992". MEPA. 6 January 1995. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015.
- ↑ "Il-Bajja tar-Ramla". Xaghra.com (in Maltese). Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- ↑ Saliba, Mario. "Ir-Ramla: ġawhra naturali u wirt nazzjonali.". academia.edu (in Maltese). Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- ↑ Hardman, William (1909). A history of Malta during the period of the French and British occupations, 1798-1815. London: Longmans, Green & Co. p. 47.
- ↑ Ragonesi, Rudolf (16 June 2013). "Gaia Foundation and Ramla l-Ħamra". Times of Malta. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
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