List of windmills in Malta

Windmills of Malta

A model of a Maltese windmill
General information
Status Three functioning, most intact but non-functioing, some demolished or destroyed, some dismantled or partially dismantled
Type Windmill
Architectural style Mannerist
Location Malta and Gozo
Named for Windmills
Owner Government of Malta or Private property
Technical details
Material Limestone
Design and construction
Architect Some of them probably by Girolamo Cassar

This is a list of windmills in Malta, that include those on Malta and Gozo. Most windmills (Maltese: imtieħen tar-riħ)[1] in Malta were built during the Order of St. John,[2] by the Cottoner and the Manoel Foundations.[3] There are 48 windmills (apart from those demolished that would add up to at least 69[4]) of which are all were included on the antiques list of 1932[5] and scheduled as cultural buildings by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA).[6] The windmills form an integral part of Maltese history.[7] Those in the countryside were used exclusively for food production, such as wheat, barley or vines, while some of those within the fortified walled cities in Valletta and the Three Cities had a military use, for the production of gunpowder.[8]

At the time of construction, each windmills' tower could site the next windmill from distance, similar to military watchtowers, in order to learn whether the others are working on that day.[9] An instrument called bronja, colloquially known as tronga, is commonly associated with the functioning of windmills. The tronja is a sea snail that is modified, with a hole at one end, and when blown it creates a strong noise reaching a large distance in a given Maltese village. This was useful to inform the people that the windmills are operating that day due to being a windy day, by which the sails turn for general function.[10]

The architecture of a windmill could differ from one to another, but in general a windmill had similar characteristics. A tower has a built circular staircase inside it that leads to the top. Rooms are built around the tower, giving both support to the tower and used for the general storage of production. A windmill could simultaneously be the family residence of the miller. Each tower has an approximate height of 15 meters and a radius of 1.5 meters. The first mills were built in the 16th-century, however these were post mills. The oldest windmills were built in the 17th-century on the island of Malta while the latest were built on Gozo in the 18th-century. The windmills were eventually replaced with the industrial development of steam mills, circa 1900, but namaged to keep competitive production throughout the mid-twentieth century.[11]

In comparison to the rest of the world, including The Netherlands that is more noticed for them, Malta has the most number of windmills on its land. There are approximately a windmill for each 9 kilometers. At one point there were possibly the double of the present amount, but many were demolished. Despite the survival of the several windmills only three of them are still at functional status, visibly with their sails in place. Other more traditional mills in Malta include those that made use of animals, such as horses and donkeys, to turn the mill.[12] A functioning Maltese windmill has six sails.[13]

Locations

Malta

Location Name of mill
and coordinates		 Type Built Notes Photograph
Attard Tower 1862 Demolished, base remains.
Windmills of Malta
Birkirkara Ta' Ganu's Mill Tower 1724 In use until 1929, now an artist's studio.
Windmills of Malta
Birkirkara Ghar il-Gobon Mill Tower c. 1685 House converted.
Windmills of Malta
Birkirkara Mriehel Windmill Tower House conversiom
Windmills of Malta
Mosta Tower This was a saw mill, long since vanished. The building it stood on now sports a small model windmill.
Windmills in Malta
Cospicua San Gwann t'Ghura Mill Tower 1674 Windmills of Malta
Cospicua St Margaret Mill Tower 18th century Windmills of Malta
Floriana St Francis St / Sarria St Tower c. 1670 Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Floriana St Francis St / Sarria St (2nd mill) Tower c. 1670 Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Floriana Pjazza Robert Samut Tower Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Għargħur Għargħur Mill Tower 1724 House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Gudja Tower c. 1670 Demolished 1930
Windmills of Malta
Kalkara Fort Ricasoli Mill Tower 1834 Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Kirkop Tower Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Lija Tal-Miraldi Mill
Ghadiret il-Bonrdi Mill		 Tower 1674 Windmills in Malta
Luqa Tower c. 1650 Demolished 1943
Windmills in Malta
Mellieha Tower Late 17th century Converted to a restaurant
Windmills of Malta
Mellieha New Mill Street c. 1849 Demolished
Windmills in Malta
Mellieha Old Mill Street Tower c. 1800 Demolished c. 1920, base remains converted to a house.
Windmills of Malta
Mosta Mosta Mill Tower 18th century House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Mosta Jesus of Nazareth Mill Tower 1757 Windmills of Malta
Mqabba Mqabba Mill Tower 18th century House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Naxxar Tas-Sghajtar Mill Tower c. 1670 Windmills of Malta
Naxxar Tal-Ghaqba Mill Tower 1710 century House conversion retaining machinery
Windmills of Malta
Naxxar Darnino Windmill
Tad-Dejf Windmill		 Tower 18th century House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Naxxar San Lucio Mill Tower 18th century House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Naxxar Old Mill Tower c. 1730 House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Paola Tower Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Qormi Qormi Mill Tower c. 1685 Windmills of Malta
Qrendi Qrendi Mill Tower c. 1695 Windmills of Malta
Rabat Cjaki Mill Tower 18th century House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Rabat Rabat Mill Tower c. 1685 House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Rabat Tal-Balla Mill
Ta Gaeriexem Mill		 Tower c. 1730 House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Senglea Windmill Hill Mill Post 1536 Windmills of Malta
Senglea Windmill Hill Mill Post Windmills of Malta
Siġġiewi Siġġiewi Mill Tower 18th century Converted to a water tower
Windmills in Malta
Siġġiewi Tal-Barba Zepp Mill Tower 1879 Demolished 1930s, rebuilt as a house in 1969.
Windmills of Malta
Siġġiewi Ta' Kerceppu Mill Tower c. 1650 Windmills of Malta
Tarxien Tower Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Valletta St Michael's Bastion No. 1 Mill[14] Tower 1674 Demolished by 1900
Windmills of Malta
Valletta St Michael's Bastion No. 2 Mill[15] Tower 1674 Demolished post 1890
Windmills of Malta
Valletta St Elmo's Mill Tower Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Żabbar Ta' Kole Mill Tower House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Żabbar Ta' Buleben Mill Tower c. 1710 Served as a redoubt between 1798 and 1800. House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Żebbuġ Ta'l Ghodu Mill
Tal Ghortu Mill		 Tower 1680s House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Żebbuġ Ta Srina Mill Tower c. 1685 House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Żebbuġ Ta Canfut Mill Tower c. 1670 Demolished by early 20th century, base remains.
Windmills of Malta
Żejtun Bir-id-Deheb Mill Tower c. 1730 Demolished c. 1960
Windmills of Malta
Żejtun Tower c. 1670 Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Żejtun Tower Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Żurrieq Tax-Xarolla Mill
35°49′54.5″N 14°28′50.5″E / 35.831806°N 14.480694°E / 35.831806; 14.480694		 Tower 1724 Preserved in working order but sails damaged in gale on 5 March 2009.
Windmills of Malta
Żurrieq Mithna Tas-Salib
St James Mill		 Tower 1857 Tower with some machinery remaining.
Windmills of Malta
Żurrieq Ta' Mamara` Mill Tower 1724 Windmills of Malta
Żurrieq Tal-Qaret Mill Tower 1674 Windmills of Malta

Gozo

Location Name of mill
and coordinates		 Type Built Notes Photograph
Fontana Ix-Xaghri Mill Tower c. 1856 Windmills of Malta
Għarb Gharb Mill Tower 1865 Dismantled c. 1900.
Windmills of Mala
Għasri Lighthouse St Tower 1858 Blown down c. 1939
Windmills of Malta
Għasri Wilgastreet Tower 1859 Demolished
Windmills of Malta
Għasri Għasri Mill
Ta Nicholas Mill		 Tower 1724 Demolished 1784
Windmills of Malta
Għasri Għasri Mill
Ta Nicholas Mill		 Tower 1784 House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Kerċem Santa Lucija Mill Tower c. 1870 Windmills of Malta
Nadur Tower 1727 Demolished 1787
Windmills of Malta
Nadur Ta 'Sufa Mill Tower 1787 Windmills of Malta
Qala Qala Mill Tower c. 1860 Preserved
Windmills of Malta
Qala Ta 'Sufa Mill Tower 1853 Windmills of Malta
Sannat Sannat Mill Tower c. 1860 Demolished c. 1940, stump remains
Windmills of Malta
Victoria Tower 1680 Demolished 1781
Windmills of Malta
Victoria Ta' Marziena Mill Tower c. 1783 Windmills of Malta
Xagħra Tower 1725 Demolished 1787
Xagħra Mithna ta' Kola Tower 1787 Preserved in working order.
Windmills of Malta
Xagħra Mithna tal-Bwie Tower 19th century House conversion
Windmills of Malta
Xagħra c. 1940 Demolished 1960s, was an irrigation mill
Windmills of Malta
Xagħra Tower c. 1900 Dismantled c. 1940
Windmills of Malta
Xewkija Tat-Tmien Kantunieri Windmill Tower c. 1710 Ceased working 1886.
Windmills of Malta
Żebbuġ Tower c. 1859 Demolished c. 1900
Windmills of Malta
Żebbuġ Caqra St Tower c. 1870 Demolished c. 1900
Windmills of Malta

See also

Notes

Known building dates are in bold text. Non-bold text denotes first known date. Unless otherwise stated, the reference for all entries is the linked Windmills of Malta webpage

References

  1. ↑ L-Imtieħen tar-Riħ. 2015. Air Malta. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Cassar Pullicino, Joseph (1949). "The Order of St. John in Maltese Folk-Memory". Melitentia, Scientia. p. 174-175.
  3. ↑ Progetti Importanti mill-Kavallieri. Retrieved on 12 October 2016.
  4. ↑ Welcome to the website of the windmills of Malta and Gozo.. Windmills in Malta. November 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  5. ↑ Protection of Antiquities Regulations. p. 6.
  6. ↑ Ameen, Juan (25 May 2012). "At last, modern architecture is protected". Times of Malta. Retrieved on 13 June 2016.
  7. ↑ DOI (24 February 2005). WIRJA PERMANENTI DWAR L-IMTIEĦEN TAR-RIĦ . Department of Information (DOI), Valletta, Malta. Press release no. 0282. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  8. ↑ Mercieca, Simon and Muscat, Joseph (2013). Windmills and the Production of Gun Powder in Malta. Symposia Melitensia. No. 9. p. 2-18.
  9. ↑ Jellema, Wibo (30 April 2016). Windmills in Malta. The Malta Independent. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  10. ↑ Testa, Frank (undated). L-Imtiehen. schoolnet.gov.mt. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  11. ↑ Jellema, Wibo (30 April 2016). Windmills in Malta. The Malta Independent. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  12. ↑ Staat, Willem (25 July 2005). Malta has biggest density of windmills worldwide. Times of Malta. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  13. ↑ Sultana, James (2016). Mitħna. Noti qosra ta’ l-Istorja għall-istudenti tal-Form 5. slideserve.com. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  14. ↑ The historical guide to the island of Malta and its dependencies. p. 52
  15. ↑ The historical guide to the island of Malta and its dependencies. p. 52
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