In 1614, 60 Turkish galleys under the command of Khalil Pasha arrived at Marsaxlokk. The newly built fort at San Lucjan resisted them, so the Turks went to Marsascala where they landed 5,000 men. When the alarm was given all sought shelter at Birgu and Mdina. The Maltese cavalry went to meet them, but the Turks had already plundered Zabbar and Zejtun and burnt their churches.
The Maltese forces under the leadership of Klement Tabuni attacked the Turks, drove them back to their ships, followed them even at sea, and captured many prisoners. The point of this battle was marked by Klement Tabuni by a chapel which he built a few meters away from his house and dedicated to St Clement.
After this, the Order built several coastal defences. In the same year St Thomas tower was built and finished by the Knights of St John. The huge fortress takes its name from St Thomas Church nearby. Later in 1657 Grand Master de Redin, out of his own pocket, built 13 towers around the Island, and placed in them guards and weapons.
Also, the Floriana (1635) and the Cottonera (1670) Lines of defence were built for everyone’s greater safety.
Author: vassallomalta
This Blog, a project run by the website VASSALLOMALTA.COM, is designed to provide an information service on the Vatican, the activities of the Pope and the Holy See, the Catholic Church’s presence on the international scene and on religious issues. It is an independent media tool produced in English.
It provides free news and in-depth reports seven days a week.
The VASSALLOMALTA.COM website offers the most needed weblinks for a maltese resident. It also offers insights about the Maltese Heritage. This Blog is complementary to the VASSALLOMALTA.COM website. All posts on this website are streamed to Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.
The VASSALLOMALTA Project is run by Fr VicGeorge Vassallo, a 50 year old priest from Malta.
He graduated in Pastoral Theology at the University of Malta and in Counseling from the University of Canterbury.
At the moment Fr VicGeorge Vassallo is the I.T. Coordinator of the Archdiocese of Malta. Before this assignment he served as Parish Priest of Marsaxlokk and Officiating Chaplain to the Armed Forces of Malta. He also served in the parishes of Gzira, Attard, Siggiewi, Zejtun, Gudja and Zebbug.
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Vassallo History 
Thank you for your reply , I find this very interesting. Thanks Joseph