🏰 Bubaqra Tower - Bubaqra Palace Żurrieq, Malta
📍 Location
Bubaqra is a hamlet with its own administrative division in Żurrieq, Malta. It is a small rural village between Nigret and Ħal Far.
📖 Historical Background
Date of construction: Circa 1579, during the rule of the Order of St John.
Builder: Don Matteolo Pisani, a Conventual Chaplain of the Order of St. John.
Purpose: Unlike many of Malta’s coastal towers, Bubaqra Tower was not a watchtower but a fortified private residence. It was built inland, near Żurrieq, serving as a countryside retreat for the nobility, while still offering protection against corsair raids.
The tower is often grouped with Malta’s early private defensive towers (like Xlejli Tower and Gauci Tower), which were constructed before or alongside the large-scale coastal defense systems of the 17th century.
🏗️ Architecture and Construction
Material: Local globigerina limestone.
Design:
Square in plan, with thick walls and defensive features.
Originally had two main storeys and a flat roof with a parapet.
Small windows and loopholes for defense.
Later alterations:
The structure was modified in the 18th century, during the rule of Grand Master Marc'Antonio Zondadari and around 1760, when four turrets were also added giving it a fortified residence appearance from the distance.
Expanded and incorporated into a larger country residence during the 17th–18th centuries.
The tower today forms part of a bigger complex, giving it a more palatial appearance than a purely military one.
📜 Historical Use
16th–17th centuries: Served as a fortified noble residence, providing safety against raids from corsairs.
18th–19th centuries: Integrated into an estate with gardens and additional residential structures.
British period: Continued to serve as a private countryside home rather than a military post.
Present day: Still privately owned, but recognized as a Grade 1 scheduled building by the Planning Authority for its architectural and historical value.
👀 Current Status
Condition: Well-preserved due to continuous use as a residence.
Accessibility: Private property – not generally open to the public, though the tower can be admired externally from nearby public roads in the Bubaqra area of Żurrieq.
Heritage value: An important example of Malta’s fortified residential architecture, showing the blend of defensive needs and noble lifestyle before large-scale organized coastal fortifications were in place.
📌 Quick Facts
| Feature | Detail |
| Location | Bubaqra, Żurrieq, Malta |
| Built | Circa 1579 |
| Builder | Don Matteolo Pisani (Order of St John) |
| Function | Fortified noble residence |
| Style | Square-plan limestone tower |
| Later Changes | Expanded into a larger residence |
| Current Status | Privately owned, protected heritage building |
| Public Access | Exterior view only |
✅ Summary:
Bubaqra Tower is a fortified country house built by a knight of the Order of St John in the late 16th century. Unlike the coastal watchtowers, it was designed as a private residence with defensive elements, reflecting the insecurity of the time when corsair raids were frequent. Today it survives as a private, protected heritage site in Żurrieq, showcasing Malta’s transition from medieval-style inland towers to the later organized coastal defenses of the Knights.
