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Santa Margherita Lines

{{Short description|Line of fortifications in Cospicua, Malta}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}

{{Infobox military installation

| name = Santa Margherita Lines

| native_name = Is-Swar ta' Santa Margerita

| location = Cospicua, Malta

| image = Malta; view from the Cotonera fortifications. Etching by M-A Wellcome L0019023.jpg

| image_size = 300px

| map = Santa Margherita & Cottonera Lines map.png

| image_mapsize = 300px

| map_caption = Map of the Santa Margherita Lines and the Cottonera Lines. The Santa Margherita Lines are the inner line of fortifications.

| caption = The Santa Margherita Lines in their original form in c.1725

| type = Line of fortifications

| coordinates = {{coord|35|52|44.4|N|14|31|23.8|E|type:landmark|display=inline}}

| ownership = Government of Malta

| controlledby =

| open_to_public =

| built = 1638–1645, 1715–1736

| used =

| builder = Order of Saint John

| materials = Limestone

| height =

| condition = Partially intact

| battles = Siege of Malta (1798–1800)

| events =

}}

The Santa Margherita Lines ({{langx|mt|Is-Swar ta' Santa Margerita}}), also known as the Firenzuola Lines ({{langx|mt|Is-Swar ta' Firenzuola}}), are a line of fortifications in Cospicua, Malta. They were built in the 17th and 18th centuries to protect the land front defences of the cities of Birgu and Senglea. A second line of fortifications, known as the Cottonera Lines, was later built around the Santa Margherita Lines, while the city of Cospicua was founded in the 18th century within the Santa Margherita and Cottonera Lines.

The Santa Margherita Lines have been on Malta's tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998, as part of the Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta.{{cite web|title=Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/982/|website=UNESCO Tentative List|accessdate=15 July 2015}}

The lines, also known as Santa Margherita Enceinte, were built to the designs of the Dominican Cardinal Fra Vincenzo Maculano da Firenzuola.[https://www.um.edu.mt/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/284756/BaroqueRoutes_2016_lowresforwebsite.pdf Baroque Routes]. p. 16.Spiteri, C. Stephen (2001). Fortresses of the Knights. Malta. Books Distributors Limited. p. 290-294. {{ISBN|9990972060}}.De Lucca, Denis (2015). Tomaso Maria Napoli: A Dominican friar's contribution to Military Architecture in the Baroque Age. International Institute for Baroque Studies: UOM. p. 254. {{ISBN|978-999-57-0-837-5}}.

History

The foundation stone of the Santa Margherita Lines was laid on 30 December 1638 by Grand Master Giovanni Paolo Lascaris. The lines were designed by Vincenzo Maculano da Firenzuola, and were meant to protect the land fronts of Birgu and Senglea, and also to prevent a flanking attack on the capital Valletta.{{cite book|last1=Guillaumier|first1=Alfie|title=Bliet u Rħula Maltin|date=2002|publisher=Klabb Kotba Maltin|isbn=99932-39-15-1|pages=108}} The lines were built on Santa Margherita Hill, known colloquially as il-Mandra, possibly on the ruins of an ancient Greek temple or an earlier castle. The hill is featured in the account of the Great Siege of 1565 by arquebusier Francesco Balbi di Corregio, who mentioned that a belvedere existed on it.

The engineer of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Marquis di S. Angelo, has proceeded for the construction project in the building of the lines.

When the three central bastions were completed in 1645, construction work stopped due to a lack of funds. The lines remained unfinished for many years, and they became known as Fort Santa Margarita or Fort Margarita.{{cite news|last1=Duggan|first1=Terence|title=Fort Margarita in Cospicua|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140324/letters/Fort-Margarita-in-Cospicua.511910|accessdate=7 June 2015|work=Times of Malta|date=24 March 2014}} In the 1670s, the Cottonera Lines were built around the still unfinished Santa Margherita Lines, but construction of the new fortifications was suspended in 1680 with the death of Grand Master Cotoner.{{cite web|title=Birgu's Fortifications|url=http://birgu.gov.mt/node/2|website=Birgu Local Council|accessdate=7 June 2015}}

Construction of both the Santa Margherita and the Cottonera Lines resumed in 1715. At the time of completion in 1736, the Santa Margherita Lines consisted of five bastions, two demi-bastions, six curtain walls, three gateways, at least two sally ports, a ditch, a covertway with lunette, and a glacis.{{cite web|last1=Graham|first1=Jimmy|title=Sta.Margherita Lines (Firenzuola Lines)|url=http://lecrac.blogspot.com/2014/01/sta-margherita-lines.html|website=La Crac|accessdate=7 June 2015|date=13 January 2014}}

The British modified the lines in the 1850s with the construction of Fort Verdala and St. Clement's Retrenchment. The latter connected the Santa Margherita Lines with the Cottonera Lines. In the late 19th century, the western part of the lines was demolished to make way for an extension of the Malta Dockyard.

The fortifications were included on the Antiquities List of 1925.{{cite web|title=Protection of Antiquities Regulations 21st November, 1932 Government Notice 402 of 1932, as Amended by Government Notices 127 of 1935 and 338 of 1939.|url=https://www.mepa.org.mt/file.aspx?f=2627|website=Malta Environment and Planning Authority|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419101304/https://www.mepa.org.mt/file.aspx?f=2627|archivedate=19 April 2016|url-status=dead}} Most of the lines still exist today, but they are in a dilapidated state. Modern roads breach some of the bastions and curtain walls.

Layout

File:30062 Saint Helen's Gate.jpg]]

The Santa Margherita Lines as completed in 1736 consisted of the following bastions and curtain walls (listed going clockwise along the lines):

  • a stepped wing linking the Birgu land front to Firenzuola Bastion. It is breached by a modern road.{{cite web|title=Short Curtain Wall – Sta Margherita Lines|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1534.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714005153/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1534.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 July 2015|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|accessdate=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013}}
  • Firenzuola Bastion – a small asymmetrical bastion.{{cite web|title=Firenzuola Bastion – Sta Margherita Lines|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1530.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713223018/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1530.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2015|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|accessdate=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013}}
  • an unnamed curtain wall linking Firenzuola and Sta. Margherita Bastions. It is breached by a modern road.
  • Sta. Margherita Bastion – a small arrowhead type bastion, now incorporated into Fort Verdala.{{cite web|title=Sta Margherita Bastion – Sta Margherita Lines|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1529.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713224824/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1529.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2015|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|accessdate=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013}}
  • Verdala Curtain – a curtain wall linking St. Margherita and St. Helen Bastions. It contains Verdala Gate, and is incorporated into Fort Verdala and St. Clement's Retrenchment.{{cite web|title=Verdala Curtain – Sta Margherita Lines|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1533.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714003555/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1533.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 July 2015|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|accessdate=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013}}
  • St. Helen Bastion – a large bastion forming the central part of the lines. Its upper part is incorporated into Fort Verdala.{{cite web|title=St Helen Bastion – Sta Margherita Lines|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1527.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713223717/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1527.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2015|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|accessdate=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013}}
  • St. Helen Curtain – a curtain wall linking St. Helen and St. John Almoner Bastions.{{cite web|title=St Helen Curtain – Sta Margherita Lines|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1528.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713215414/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1528.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2015|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|accessdate=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013}} It contains St. Helen's Gate, which is Cospicua's main gate, and two modern openings to allow the passage of traffic. It was originally defended by a tenaille and a lunette, which were dismantled in the 19th century.{{cite web|last1=Spiteri|first1=Stephen C.|title=Porta dei Mortari|url=http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/index.php/Building-Methods/porta-dei-mortari.html|website=MilitaryArchitecture.com|accessdate=7 June 2015|date=6 September 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160607075320/http://www.militaryarchitecture.com/index.php/Building-Methods/porta-dei-mortari.html |archive-date=7 June 2016}}
  • St. John Almoner Bastion – a two tiered bastion designed by Charles François de Mondion in the early 18th century. Its left face is breached by a modern road.{{cite web|title=St John Almoner Bastion – Sta Margherita Lines|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1532.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713232253/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1532.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2015|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|accessdate=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013}}
  • an unnamed curtain wall linking St. John Almoner and St. Francis Bastions, containing a blocked up sally port. Its lower half was demolished in the 19th century to make way for the extension of the dockyard.{{cite web|title=Curtain wall between St John Almoner and St Francis Bastions – Sta Margherita Lines|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1538.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713225604/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1538.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 July 2015|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|accessdate=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013}}
  • St. Francis Bastion – a bastion which was demolished in the 19th century to make way for the extension of the dockyard.
  • St. Raphael Demi-Bastion – a demi-bastion which was demolished in the 19th century to make way for the extension of the dockyard.

The 19th century additions by the British were:

  • Fort Verdala – a fortified barracks built along Verdala Curtain.{{cite web|title=Fort Verdala – Sta Margherita Lines|url=http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1540.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150714005451/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1540.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 July 2015|website=National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands|accessdate=13 July 2015|date=28 June 2013}}
  • St. Clement's Retrenchment – a retrenchment linking the Santa Margherita Lines to the Cottonera Lines.

References

{{reflist}}

External links

{{commons category}}

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20141230223032/http://www.culturalheritage.gov.mt/filebank/inventory/Knights%20Fortifications/1526.pdf National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands]

{{Sovereign Military Order of Malta}}

Category:Cospicua

Category:City walls in Malta

Category:Hospitaller fortifications in Malta

Category:Fortification lines

Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1735

Category:Limestone buildings in Malta

Category:National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands

Category:17th-century fortifications

Category:18th-century fortifications

Category:18th Century military history of Malta