Tuesday, 26 February 2019
Malta in a Minute: St Agatha’s Tower
Everything you need to know about Malta – one minute at a time.
St Agatha's Tower or, as it is more popularly known, the Red Tower, is a watchtower in Mellieha, in the north part of Malta. It was built between 1647 and 1649 and consists of a square plan with four corner towers. The outer walls of At Agatha's Tower are an impressive 4 metres thick. A small chapel dedicated to St Agatha is located inside the tower. The reason why it is painted red is now known but it may have been for it to be easily recognised by sentinels or to act as a deterrent to corsairs or would-be invaders. It served as a military fortification for over 300 years and then fell into disrepair.
Extensive restoration works were carried out between 1999 and 2001.
Winter Opening Hours: 16th September – 14th June Monday to Sunday 10.00hrs – 16:00hrs Summer Opening Hours: 15th June – 15th September Monday to Sunday 10.00hrs - 17.00hrs
Related links: