Dwerja Tower - San Lawrenz, Gozo, Malta
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 36° 02.966 E 014° 11.530
33S E 427236 N 3989733
Dwejra Tower (Maltese: Torri tad-Dwejra), sometimes known as Qawra Tower (Maltese: Torri tal-Qawra), is a small watchtower in Dwejra Bay, limits of San Lawrenz on the island of Gozo. It was completed in 1652, and is one of the Lascaris towers.
Waymark Code: WMYE55
Location: Malta
Date Posted: 06/04/2018
Views: 3
"The Dwejra Tower was built in 1652 during the magistracy of Grand Master Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, and was funded by the Università of Gozo. It is one of the Lascaris towers, and the intention
behind its construction was for it to act as a watchtower and guard the surrounding areas from oncoming enemies, most especially pirate landings. This tower, just like the other towers, could communicate to nearby defence fortifications through fire and smoke, at night and during the day respectively. The expenses for running the tower were covered by producing salt from the salt pans near it. It was equipped with three 6-pounder guns in the eighteenth century. In 1744, Grand Master Pinto made going to the Fungus Rock illegal because a fungus which grew there was believed to have medicinal powers, and Dwejra Tower was used as a lookout to prevent anyone climbing on the islet."
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"The Lascaris Towers (Maltese: Torrijiet ta' Lascaris) are a series of mostly small coastal watchtowers built in Malta by the Order of Saint John between 1637 and 1652. The first seven towers were built around the coast of mainland Malta between 1637 and 1638. Between 1647 and 1652, a large tower was also built on mainland Malta, and two smaller ones were built on Gozo.
The Italian knight Giovanni Paolo Lascaris was elected Grand Master of the Order of St. John on 16 June 1636. Unlike the earlier Wignacourt towers which were personally funded by the Grand Master, the cost of the Lascaris towers was paid by the Università. Construction of the first tower, located at ta' Lippija near Gnejna, began in 1637. Another six towers were built within the following year.
Six of the seven original towers were coastal watchtowers, built on or near the sites of medieval watch posts. The only Lascaris tower which is located inland is the Nadur Tower at Bingemma Gap, which was built to facilitate communication between the other towers and the fortified city of Mdina.
Another tower, Saint Agatha's Tower, was built between 1647 and 1649. Unlike the original towers, this was a large bastioned structure similar to the earlier Wignacourt towers.
The last two towers to be built in Lascaris' reign were the ones at Xlendi and Dwejra. These were built in 1650 and 1652 respectively, and the cost of construction was paid by the Università of Gozo."
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These days the tower is owned by the Government of Malta and controlled by Din l-Art Helwa (English: National Trust of Malta), a non-governmental and non-profit, voluntary organisation founded in 1968, by Maltese Judge Maurice Caruana Carron, to safeguard Malta's cultural heritage and natural environment.
The tower is open to the public on most days with no charge. If it is open a flag will be flying.