Mġarr ix-Xini Tower: Guardian of Gozo's Coast

Mġarr ix-Xini Tower, or 'It-Torri ta' Mġarr ix-Xini' in Maltese, is the largest of the coastal watchtowers erected by the Knights of Malta on Gozo. Completed in 1661, the tower was designed by Mederico Blondel and built at the expense of the local Universitas. Its strategic location watches over the entrance to Mġarr ix-Xini Bay, a secluded inlet with a rich, though somber, history.The bay's past includes serving as a refuge for the Knights' galleys and, more infamously, as the site where Turkish forces loaded captured Gozitans onto their ships during the devastating raid of 1551. The tower itself was built to safeguard the inlet from such incursions. Its design, similar to the De Redin towers on mainland Malta, features a square plan with two floors. However, it uniquely includes a flight of steps and a drawbridge at its entrance, unlike other towers that relied on retractable ladders.Originally manned by a castellan and a bombardier, the tower could communicate with the Comino Tower and Santa Cecilja Tower. Though its permanent manning ceased by 1785, it was rearmed and used in later conflicts. Today, the restored tower is open to the public on certain days, managed by Wirt Għawdex, offering visitors a chance to explore its interior, including the guardroom, powder magazine, and gun platform, and to appreciate panoramic views of the bay and surrounding landscape.A recently renovated path connects the bay to the tower, making for an enjoyable walk. The bay itself is popular with swimmers and divers, featuring underwater caves within the cliff faces.