Fort Tigné

Fort Tigné (Maltese: Il-Forti Tigné or Il-Fortizza ta' Tigné) is a polygonal fort in Tigné Point, Sliema, Malta. It was built by the Order of Saint John between 1793 and 1795 to protect Marsamxett Harbour, and it is one of the oldest polygonal forts in the world. The fort has been recently restored and it is now in good condition.

Fort Tigné has been on Malta's tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998, as part of the Knights' Fortifications around the Harbours of Malta.

History

Background and failed proposals

A watch post existed on Punta di Santa Maria (now known as Tigné Point after the fort) in 1417. The post was probably a small unfortified structure, which was manned by three persons. The peninsula played a significant role during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, when the invading Ottomans built a battery on it in order to bombard Fort Saint Elmo. After the siege, the peninsula became known as Dragut Point after the Ottoman corsair Dragut.

The first proposal to build a fortification on Dragut Point was made by the Italian military engineer Antonio Maurizio Valperga in 1670. He proposed a fortified city known as Borgo della Città Piccola, with a design similar to Fort Ricasoli. The proposal never materialized, probably due to a lack of funds.

Tigné

Tigné is a small village, administratively a former commune, in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. On January 1, 2016 it became a delegated commune within the new commune of Lys-Haut-Layon. Wines produced in the commune carry the protected name Coteaux-du-Layon.

Geography

The commune is traversed by the river Layon on its north side. The river creates a natural boundary with the neighboring village, Martigné-Briand. It is located in the "Couloir du Layon", a geographical area composed of winelands along the Layon river, a tributary of the Loire. Attached administratively to Saumur, Tigné borders the Pays des Mauges and the Saumurois.

Population

The village currently has about 770 inhabitants.

Cultural and architectural heritage

Buildings in Tigné classified as Historical Monuments: