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Coordinates: 35°55′12″N 14°26′33″E / 35.91987°N 14.44252°E

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Gauci Tower
Torri Gauci
Naxxar, Malta
View of Gauci Tower
Coordinates	35°55′12″N 14°26′33″E / 35.91987°N 14.44252°E / 35.91987; 14.44252
Type	Tower
Site information
Owner	Private
Open to the public	No
Condition	Intact
Site history
Built	before 1548
Built by	Gauci family
Materials	Limestone

Gauci Tower (Maltese: Torri Gauci, Italian: Torre Gauci) is a tower in Naxxar, Malta. It was built before 1548 by the Gauci family. The tower remains in good condition.

History

Gauci Tower was built sometime before 1548 by Francesco Gauci to protect his family from corsair raids. The construction cost a total of 400 scudi. In 1548, it was requisitioned by the Order of Saint John, who ruled the Maltese Islands, to house the Captain of the Naxxar militia. Gauci petitioned against this move, and the tower was returned to him on 16 May 1548. Eventually, the Order built the nearby Captain's Tower to house the Captain of the militia.

The tower is quite small, and has a square plan, with its lower half being slightly more pronounced. A number of box machicolations are located at the crest of its high parapet. It also has musketry loopholes and vision slits. A townhouse, also built by Gauci, is located next to the tower.^[1]

By the late 17th century, Gauci Tower had lost most of its defensive value. The Chapel of St. Paul was built in front of it in 1696.^[2]

The tower and adjacent townhouse needed a lot of repairs and restoration, as they had been uninhabited for multiple years. A lot of the construction materials had to be imported to the island. The most difficult renovation included dismantling the air-raid shelter on the ground floor of the tower, which had been used during WWII. This air-raid shelter was built by British forces during the war to protect Malta's highest judge, Sir Arturo Mercieca. In the tower, 30cm steel cement was cutting through the three arches, supported by giant pillars. On the 450th Birthday of the tower – May 16, 1998 – all restoration work was finally finished, and a ceremony led by the mayor of Naxxar led to the switching-on of the flood-light system of this beautiful tower and adjacent St. Pawl's Chapel.

References

^ "Naxxar's Torre Gauci". Times of Malta. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
^ Spiteri, Stephen C. "Naxxar and its fortifications". MilitaryArchitecture.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gauci Tower.

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands

v t e Historic watch towers of Malta
Associated with the Order of Saint John
Wignacourt towers	Wignacourt Tower St. Lucian Tower St. Thomas Tower Marsalforn Tower^ St. Mary's Tower Santa Maria delle Grazie Tower^
Lascaris towers	Lippija Tower Għajn Tuffieħa Tower Blat Mogħża Tower^ Nadur Tower Qawra Tower Sciuta Tower St. George's Tower St. Agatha's Tower Xlendi Tower Dwejra Tower
De Redin towers	Għajn Ħadid Tower^ Għallis Tower St. Mark's Tower Madliena Tower St. Julian's Tower Aħrax Tower Bengħisa Tower^ Xrobb l-Għaġin Tower^ Triq il-Wiesgħa Tower Delimara Tower^ Żonqor Tower^ Ħamrija Tower Wardija Tower
Tour–Reduits	Fresnoy Redoubt^ Spinola Redoubt^ Vendôme Tower Marsalforn Tower^
Other Hospitaller towers	Captain's Tower Garzes Tower^ Mġarr ix-Xini Tower Sopu Tower Tal-Wejter Tower Torre dello Standardo
Privately built	Xlejli Tower¹ Cavalier Tower¹ Gauci Tower Birkirkara Tower¹ Bubaqra Tower St. Paul's Tower Ingraw Tower^ Santa Cecilia Tower Mamo Tower Gourgion Tower^ Vincenti Tower
^ Demolished/destroyed ¹ Builder unknown or uncertain

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