De Redin Coastal Towers

Fortifications for defence and communication

These famous fortifications scattered all over the Malta and Gozo's coastline were built in a period of sixty years from (1601-1660), and  could easily be divided into to two groups because of their structure and their different coastal defence roles. The most famous of thesetowers are the Red Tower in Mellieha, Santa Marija's tower in Comino, and Wignacourt tower in St Paul's Bay.

Strategic Bays

The strategic Bays were garded by bulky and massive towers, large and well equipped with weaponry and constantly manned by troops. Their function was not only that of a sentinel or a guardian of the bays, but also that of a stronghold, meant to harrass and attack the enemy with its soldier garnisons and powerful guns.

Watch towers

The second group is composed by smaller fortifications that served only as watch towers, rather than actual reservoirs of manpower and weapons.They were paid for by Universitas, which was trying to enable the Order's engineer to perfection their architectural skills for making the towers more suitable for their actual functions.

These watchtowers were built during the rule of Grandmaster Lascaris, and the new perfected squarish shape became the blueprint for the chain of thirteen watchtowers built by Grandmaster De Redin, intended to transmit warning signs all the way to Valletta.

The reduction in size was mainly because of manpower resources, it was impossible to post large garrisons at every site.