Tigné Point

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Tigné Point, view from Valletta .
Map of Tigné Point

Tigné Point is a peninsula in Sliema , Malta . The area was originally occupied by several fortifications and a British barracks complex, which fell into disrepair for many years until the area was redeveloped in the early 21st century. The area now contains many modern buildings and is popular with both locals and tourists.

The peninsula was originally known as Punta di Santa Maria , and its outermost point is also known as Dragut Point .

history

Tigné Barracks, before demolition in 2001

In 1417 the local militia had a small sentry on what is now Tigné Point. During the siege of Malta in 1565, the Ottoman admiral Dragut stationed a series of cannons at Tigné Point for a siege to capture Fort St Elmo of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John . He was killed by stray fire from the fortress during the siege. The far end of the peninsula still bears his name.

After the great siege, in place of a niche that was already in the area, a chapel was built, dedicated to Our Lady under various titles. In 1757 the Lembi Battery was built in the area, which became obsolete in 1792 when the Order built its last main fortification, Fort Tigné . The new fort, which later gave the area its name, played a significant role in the French invasion of 1798 and the subsequent Maltese uprising.

Between 1878 and 1886, under British rule, the Cambridge Battery was built at Tigné Point to house a single 100-ton cannon . In the 1890s, the Garden Battery was built to cover the area between the Cambridge Battery and Fort Tigné. The British also built military barracks and a chapel dedicated to Saint Luke on the peninsula.

When the British forces withdrew in 1979, the barracks and the entire area fell into disrepair as a result of neglect. Parts of Fort Tigné and the British barracks were looted or devastated. The Garden Battery was filled in and buildings were erected over it, while the Cambridge Battery was used as a restaurant, hotel and swimming pool.

In 1999 the Maltese government published an international call for applications to revitalize the peninsula. The abandoned barracks were demolished in 2001 and the area was redeveloped from 2002. The real estate development includes a mix of modern luxury apartments, hi-tech offices, an apartment hotel , a shopping center , a cinema, an underground car park , a soccer field and other state-of-the-art health and leisure facilities. The whole area has been completely converted into a pedestrian zone. Fort Tigné has been restored after nearly 30 years of dilapidation, while plans for the restoration of the Cambridge and Garden Batteries were also being drawn up.

present

Parts of the Point Shopping Mall still contain some architectural elements from the former Tigné barracks.

Tigné Point has changed considerably since the renovation project. The modern buildings, accessibility, and other factors have helped transform the area from neglected, abandoned barracks into a popular area visited by both locals and tourists as it offers a range of attractions. Fort Cambridge Apartments, which were completed in 2012, are among the tallest buildings in Malta.

The Cominotto ferry with an advertisement for The Point shopping center .

The Point Shopping Mall was opened in early 2010 on the site of the former Tigné barracks. Parts of the shopping center in Pjazza Tigné still contain some architectural elements of the barracks, including a series of arches that run along the square. The Point is Malta's largest shopping center and comprises around 17,000 m² of retail space on three levels. It includes a supermarket and over 50 other shops.

credentials

  1. ↑ a b Stephen C. Spiteri: Fort Tigné - 1792 - Part I . December 26, 2011. Accessed June 24, 2015.
  2. ↑ a b Thomas MacGill: A hand book, or guide, for strangers visiting Malta . Luigi Tonna, Malta 1839, p. 85.
  3. ^ Vincent Zammit: Fortifications in the Middle Ages . In: PEG Ltd (Ed.): Civilization . No. 1, Ħamrun , 1984, p. 33.
  4. ^ History of Tigné Point . Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  5. ↑ Stephen C. Spiteri: Military Architecture of the 100-ton Gun Batteries . July 14, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  6. ^ A Brief History of Tigné Point . Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  7. ^ Fort Cambridge Apartments North Tower . Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  8. ^ Fort Cambridge Apartments South Tower . Retrieved February 21, 2015.
  9. ^ The Point shopping mall, the new Tigne Point shopping complex . Retrieved July 12, 2014.

Web links

Commons : Tigné Point  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 35 ° 54 '  N , 14 ° 31'  E