Tigné Point

Tigné Point is a peninsula in Sliema, Malta. The area was originally occupied by several fortifications and a British barracks complex, which were left derelict for many years, until the area was redeveloped in the early 21st century. The area now contains many modern buildings and is popular among both locals and tourists.

The peninsula was originally known as Punta di Santa Maria, and its extremity is also known as Dragut Point.

History

The local militia had a small watch post on what is now Tigné Point in 1417. During the Great Siege of Malta of 1565, the Ottoman admiral Dragut stationed a number of cannons at Tigné Point in a siege to capture Fort Saint Elmo from the Order of Saint John. He was killed by stray gunfire from the fort during the siege, and the extremity of the peninsula still bears his name, Dragut Point.

After the Great Siege, a chapel dedicated to Our Lady under various titles was built instead of a niche that was already in the area. In 1757, Lembi Battery was built in the area, and it became obsolete in 1792, when the Order built its last major fortification, Fort Tigné. The new fort, which later gave the area its name, played a significant role in the French invasion of 1798 and the subsequent Maltese uprising.

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: