Floriana Lines
The Floriana Lines are a fortification in Malta . Its construction began in 1635 by Pietro Paolo Floriani under the rule of the Grand Master Antoine de Paule and was not completed until the 18th century.
After the victory over the Ottoman besiegers in the Great Siege, the fortified city of Valletta was built on the Scibereas peninsula from 1566 . Surrounded on three sides by water, the city was closed to the south by the Valetta Land Front. The town of Floriana was built south of this fortification from 1724 . Like the defense system, it was named after the Italian fortress builder who was responsible for the construction and construction of the fortifications. The Floriana Lines protected the land and sea sides of the city and formed the outermost fortification ring for the city of Valletta.
The main elements of the fortification are the St Francis Bastion (east side) and the Sa Maison Bastion (west side) on the land side. Below the St Francis Bastion is the city gate known as the Porte des Bombes . It was built in the French Baroque style between 1697 and 1720 under the reign of the Grand Master Ramon Perellos y Roccaful . Perello's coat of arms is above the passage. Originally consisting only of an archway with a drawbridge in front, another arch was added in 1868 under British rule to cope with the increasing volume of traffic. Both archways were extended upwards when the tram was built in 1905 ; After the tram was shut down in 1929 and the railroad in 1931, the flanking sections of the wall were removed to make space for road construction. The Gate of Our Lady in the area of the Sa Maison Bastion was destroyed.
The St Francis Bastion was secured by the Floriana Hornwerk (La Galdiana) built in 1671 , which in turn is surrounded by a crown work with a ravelin in front . Opposite the Marsamxett Harbor , the city is secured by the Sta Maison Bastion and Msida Bastion. On the Grand Harbor side are St Francis Bastion, Magazine Bastion and the Cruzifix Bastion.
Work on the Floriana Lines was interrupted for the first time between 1638 and 1640 in order to initially complete the Sta Magherita Lines . The construction turned out to be very slow, as the enormous costs exceeded the financial possibilities of the knights. It was also questionable whether the fortress structures could be manned with enough soldiers. Under the British rule, the Floriana Lines were initially continued to be used. Overall, the complex is considered to be a highlight of the bastional fortress style that was shaped by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban .
See also
literature
- Ernle Bradford : The Shield of Europe . Ullstein Buchverlag, ISBN 3-548-34912-9 (from the English, title of the original edition The Great Siege, Malta 1565 )
- Charles Stephenson: "The Fortifications of Malta 1530-1945", Osprey Publishing Limited, 2004, ISBN 1-84176-836-7
