Ximenes redoubt vandalised

The recently restored Ximenes Redoubt at Salina has been vandalised. In spite of the warning of security cameras, the vandals managed to deface a wall in this redoubt. The redoubt was part of the coastal defence system of the knights against the possibility of invasion. The restoration of this eighteenth-century coastal work of fortification was partly converted by the Knights of St John to serve as a warehouse for the nearby salt-producing complex. Known as the Ximenes Redoubt, this eighteenth century work of fortification was originally constructed in 1715/16 as part of the Hospitaller knights’ strategy of defending the Maltese islands against invasion with a network of coastal fortifications designed to actively resist invasion and prevent invading enemy forces from establishing a beachhead and landing their troops ashore. Its partial conversion into a salt magazine occurred later in the course of the eighteenth century at a time when various enlightened grand masters sought to improve the economic potential of the island. [23video id="8713150" token="d598b3167e4e910f5ba36b797d5263cf" width="665" height="374"]