Fort Tigné was originally built in 1792 by Maltese engineer Antonio Cachia to the design of Order of St John’s chief engineer, Stefano de Toussard. It named in honour of Bailiff Tigné who contributed towards its cost.
The need to strengthen this particular promontory against possible attacks from sea and land had long been understood by the Knights, who in 1565 had seen Fort St Elmo capitulate to Dragut’s cannons, strategically placed at the tip of the selfsame peninsula.
Although the widely anticipated second Turkish invasion of Malta never quite materialised, Fort Tigné did witness limited military action in its 200-year history. It proved to be among the only one of the Knights’ many redoubts and fortifications to attempt some kind of resistance against Napoleon’s forces in 1798; ironically, it was also one of the first strongholds to fall to the local partisan militia during the subsequent insurrection. Garrisoned by British forces from 1805 until their departure in 1979, the fort was consistently armed, refitted and altered to maintain its function as a machine of war.
It is currently being restored by the MIDI Consortium after 30 years of neglect.
Source MIDI
