Birgu Clock Tower

The Birgu Clock Tower (Maltese: It-Torri tal-Arloġġ tal-Birgu), also called the Vittoriosa Clock Tower and originally the Civic Clock Tower, was a clock tower in Birgu, Malta. It was located in Victory Square, the city's main square, and it was a prominent landmark in Birgu and the rest of the Three Cities. The tower was probably built in the Middle Ages, although some sources state that it was constructed in 1549. It served as a watchtower since it had views over the Grand Harbour and the surrounding countryside, and it saw use during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. A clock was installed in the tower in the 17th century.

Birgu Clock Tower
It-Torri tal-Arloġġ tal-Birgu
View of the Birgu Clock Tower c. 1930s or early 1940s
Alternative namesVittoriosa Clock Tower
General information
StatusDestroyed
TypeClock tower
Architectural styleSiculo-Norman
LocationBirgu, Malta
Coordinates35°53′16.9″N 14°31′19″E
Construction startedMiddle Ages
Renovatedpossibly rebuilt 1549
DestroyedApril 1942 (bombed)
October 1944 (ruins cleared)
Height40 m (130 ft)
Technical details
MaterialLimestone
Floor count5

The building was destroyed by aerial bombardment during World War II. Some of its foundations still exist, and plans have been made for rebuilding the structure.

History

The Birgu Clock Tower is believed to have been built in the medieval period. It was built as a watchtower, and it had views of the Grand Harbour and the surrounding countryside. An alarm bell was installed in the tower in 1504.[1]

Following the arrival of the Order of St. John in Malta, their coat of arms and the date 1549 were inscribed on the façade.[1] According to some sources, the tower was rebuilt at this point.[2]

According to Francisco Balbi di Correggio, Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette used the tower for surveillance during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.[1][3] Following the transfer of the capital city from Birgu to Valletta, in 1572 the Order sold part of the tower to a family from Għaxaq, who used it as a private residence.[4]

The upper parts of the tower remained public property. A clock was placed on the tower's top floor in 1629 that was built to the designs of Antonio Garsin,[5] during the magistracy of Antoine de Paule, and this was commemorated by a Latin inscription on the tower[4] which read;[1]

Evantunellu Carbuni
me fecit nobili civitati
Messanæ
MCCCCCIIII
(Meaning: alarm bell - requested [paid] by city nobles - [manufactured in] Messina - 1504)

In 1921, a marble tablet commemorating Malta's new constitution was affixed to the tower.[4] The tower was included on the Antiquities List of 1925.[6]

Destruction

During World War II, Birgu was heavily bombarded by Italian and German bombers due to its proximity to the Malta Dockyard. On 4 April 1942, a bomb fell close to the tower. Part of the structure collapsed on the night between 11 and 12 April due to the damage sustained. The remaining part of the tower was hit again two weeks later, causing further damage. The ruins were completely demolished in October 1944.[4][7]

Most of the mechanism of the clock still exist, and it is in storage at the local council premises.[8] The clock's hands are displayed at the Church Museum in Birgu and Palazzo Falson in Mdina.[4]

Plans for reconstruction
Victory Square today, with the patch of lighter tarmac showing where the clock tower stood

The debate as to whether or not to rebuild the tower began soon after its destruction.[9] The Historical and Cultural Society of Vittoriosa organized a meeting requesting the rebuilding of the tower on 19 December 1954.[1]

In 2004, part of the tower's foundations consisting of original cut rock on site was uncovered during an archaeological excavation by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.[10][11] This find caused a dispute among Birgu residents as to whether the tower should be rebuilt or not. Some argued that it is a historical site which deserves to be rebuilt, while others said that it would not be the same as the original, and it would take up scarce parking spaces.[8]

In the budget of 2006, the Government of Malta voted funds for rebuilding the tower.[12] The Birgu Local Council agreed on rebuilding it during a council meeting on 26 April 2007,[13] and submitted a development permit to construct the replica.[14] In January 2015, The Alfred Mizzi Foundation announced that it will finance the reconstruction of the tower, to coincide with the 450th anniversary of the 1565 siege. The replica is estimated to cost around €300,000. This move was welcomed by the Birgu Local Council and the Ministry of Infrastructure.[15]

In July 2015, Birgu mayor John Boxall announced that a referendum might be held among Birgu residents in order to decide whether or not to rebuild the tower.[16]

Architecture

The tower had a quadrilateral plan, and it was around 40 m (130 ft) high. It had five floors of different heights, with a balcony supported on corbels surrounding the fourth floor. A small turret was located on one corner of the tower.[4]

References
  1. Bugeja, Lino (8 September 2013). "Reclaiming Vittoriosa's medieval watch tower". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  2. Testa, Michael (6 January 2004). "Residents divided over turning back the clock". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  3. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/48420/1/Lehen%20is-Sewwa_1975_04_19_Bonnici_Arturo_It-Torrijiet%20taghna.pdf
  4. Gauci, Gregory. "The Clock Tower". Birgu Local Council. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014.
  5. Spiteri, Stephen C. (2013). "In Defence of the Coast (I) - The Bastioned Towers". Arx - International Journal of Military Architecture and Fortification (3): 85. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  6. "Protection of Antiquities Regulations 21st November, 1932 Government Notice 402 of 1932, as Amended by Government Notices 127 of 1935 and 338 of 1939". Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016.
  7. Cassar Pullicino, Joseph (October–December 1949). "The Order of St. John in Maltese folk-memory" (PDF). Scientia. 15 (4): 159. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2016.
  8. Testa, Michael (27 January 2004). "Demolished clock tower creates dilemma for council". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  9. Farrugia, Anthony (3 September 2006). "Against rebuilding Vittoriosa clock tower". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  10. "Annual Report 2004" (PDF). Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. Valletta. 2004. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2017.
  11. Pace, Anthony (26 January 2004). "Urban archaeology at Vittoriosa". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  12. "Will the Clock Tower be reconstructed?". Vittoriosa Historical & Cultural Society. September 2009. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  13. "The Reconstruction of the Vittoriosa Clock Tower and the Re-Embellishment of Misraħ ir-Rebħa". Birgu Local Council. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  14. "Vittoriosa Clock tower to be rebuilt to its former glory". The Malta Independent. 25 June 2007. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  15. Bonnici, Therese (16 January 2015). "Soup kitchen to be reintroduced in Malta; Birgu's clock tower to be rebuilt in main square". The Malta Independent. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015.
  16. Castillo, Ruth (18 July 2015). "Referendum before end of year on the re-building of Vittoriosa Clock Tower". TVM. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
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