Tunny fishing (tunnara) and the defence of Mellieħa Bay are two distinct practices, both historically linked to two Hospitaller coastal batteries located within the same bay.

In the years 1714 and 1716, two coastal batteries were built on either side of this wide inlet: Batteria a Sinistra della Melleha and Batteria a Dritta della Melleha. Today, only Batteria a Dritta della Melleha’s blockhouse remains intact, while very little of Batteria a Sinistra della Melleha remains.

The Batteria a Dritta della Melleha, also known as Westreme Battery, was leased by the British government to Federico Borg in 1899. From then until the summer of 1961, this fortification served as a storehouse for the tunnara. Reflecting this historical role, the battery now houses the Tunnara Museum.

However, the lesser-known Batteria a Sinistra della Melleha had a closer connection with the tunnara. This article will delve into the evolution of this battery’s structure over the years, and how it was adapted to shifting roles between a fortification and an office for the Tonnara enterprise.

Batteria a Sinistra della Melleha was also known as Fedeau or Ta’ Qassisu Battery, and its original role was that of a coastal gun battery. As its name implies, this battery was constructed on the left-hand side of Għadira Bay. If it were still standing, it would now be located at the eastern extremity of the former Mellieħa Bay Hotel.

Fedeau Battery cost 899.4.17.5 scudi. The Misura & Conto Sommario dell’Opere di Fortificationi fatte nel Lido delle Marine, drawn up between 1715 and 1716, indicates that most of the expenses went into the construction of the parapet walls, counterscarp and blockhouses (circa 477 scudi), followed by the excavation of the rock for the foundations and ditch (circa 118 scudi).

The layout of Fedeau Battery was specifically tailored to address a defensive role, and can be appreciated from plans dating back to 1748 and 1761. The battery had a semi-circular gun platform. Like its twin, Westreme Battery, the eastern face of this gun platform was protected by a parapet pierced with four embrasures, while the remainder of the platform was enclosed by a low parapet. The Misura & Conto supports this, as the breakdown of expenses shows that a payment of six scudi was required for the four troniere (embrasures).

From its gun platform, the militia soldiers could open fire onto enemy vessels entering Mellieħa Bay. In this defensive strategy, Fedeau Battery was supported by Westreme Battery. Located on opposite sides of the bay, the chance of enemy vessels getting caught in their crossfire was greater. Hence, these fortifications could potentially stop, delay or reduce the invading force before it could reach the shore.

The rear of the gun platform, facing inland, was sealed by two blockhouses connected by a central redan. The blockhouses provided shelter for the troops and a small supply of ammunition.

The redan, featuring a V-shaped wall with eight feritori (musketry loopholes), linked the blockhouses and defended the landward approach of the battery. The main gateway of the battery was located in the western wall of the redan, and a rock-hewn ditch was excavated in front of the gateway and the adjacent blockhouse to provide additional defence. The Misura & Conto mentions ponte con scalini, indicating the presence of a small staircase that likely facilitated access to the battery using wooden planks or possibly a drawbridge.

Over time, Fedeau Battery, originally destined to be a fortification, took on a secondary, non-military role. Its proximity to the tunnara – a network of nets cast in Għadira Bay to guide and trap tuna – earned it the name Tonnara Battery. This association with the tunnara was further solidified in 1748 when a proposal was made to modify the structure, transforming it into an officina della Tonnara, a small facility for salting and storing tuna.

The proposed structural changes included the following:

• A ramp was to be built, extending from the quay, where the boats were moored, to the officina.

• The battery’s ditch was to be covered with a tent to store the freshly caught fish.

• A wall was to be erected on the gun platform, where the cannons were previously placed, to create a storage space capable of holding approximately 300 barrels of salted tuna.

• The blockhouse on the right was to be expanded to accommodate 16 fishermen.

• In front of this blockhouse, a loggia with six arches was to be constructed for hanging the tuna. The construction of this loggia would result in the loss of one of the battery’s embrasures. Additionally, another room was to be built above the loggia to house more fishermen.

A 1748 plan of Fedeau Battery, showing the proposed modifications to transform it into an office for the Tonnara enterprise. Photo: Courtesy of the National Library of Malta

These changes, highlighted in yellow in the accompanying 1748 plan, illustrate how the battery could no longer fulfil its defensive role, as the gun platform was repurposed as a warehouse. This indicates that, by this time, the threat of an attack by corsairs or the Ottomans had diminished, leading the Order to permit the fortification’s use for commercial purposes.

This 1748 plan, entitled Pianta della Batteria Fedeau a sinistra della spiagga della Melleka destinata per officina della tonnara colla piccola aggiunta da farseli a’ tal fine in 1748, raises an intriguing question: were these changes implemented or did they remain merely a design on paper?

According to Agius de Soldanis in his book Damma tal kliem Kartaginis mscerred fel fom tal-Maltin u Ghaucin, it seems that some warehouses were indeed built in Mellieħa Bay for the tunny fishing enterprise. Additionally, the remains of a ramp leading from the beach to the battery site suggest that at least some of these structural additions might have been implemented.

On the other hand, a plan of the coastal fortifications around Mellieħa Bay dating to around 1761 depicts Fedeau Battery with its two original rooms, without any indication of the previously mentioned structural alterations. Moreover, by 1785, this fortification was equipped with four cannons, suggesting that the battery had reverted to its original military role, with its platform unhampered by walls or barrels.

It is worth mentioning here that when the Order of St John permitted the use of military structures for non-military purposes, tenants were required to agree to several conditions. The most significant of these was a clause stating that in the event of an emergency, the Order reserved the right to remove any obstructions introduced by the tenants without the latter being entitled to any compensation.

Thus, two possible theories could answer the previous question: either the proposed changes were never implemented or the Order chose to remove the additional structures to restore the battery’s original defensive role.

Over time, the battery seems to have been abandoned. The battery resurfaces in a 1904 survey sheet, where it is depicted with two rooms. However, a more recent survey from 1958 indicates that only one room remained.

Until a few years ago, it was believed that the entire battery had been lost to the passage of time. However, recently, during Mellieħa Bay Hotel’s redevelopment preparations, the remains of a blockhouse attributed to Fedeau Battery were uncovered, challenging the previous assumption. This finding aligns with the assertions made by the authors of Fortifications of the Knights Hospitallers in Mellieħa, who also claimed that a blockhouse from this battery still existed.

If one refers to the 1904 and 1958 survey sheets, this building, believed to be the remains of the blockhouse, corresponds with the smaller room illustrated on the right-hand side.

Survey sheets showing Fedeau Battery in the 20th century. The small room, believed to be the remains of the battery’s blockhouse, corresponds with the room on the right-hand side (marked by red arrows). Photos: Courtesy of the National Library of Malta

This small room is roofed with a series of stone slabs (xorok) resting on four wooden beams. It features a single doorway and lacks windows, loopholes or any traces of arches.

However, it is unclear if this is the original blockhouse, as the room’s small size and the use of wooden beams instead of the usual stone arches suggest otherwise.

Typically, Hospitaller coastal batteries and redoubts featured roofs consisting of stone slabs supported by stone arches or, rarely, barrel vaults, a fact detailed in the expense breakdown (Misura & Conto) of many coastal works. However, to complicate matters, Fedeau Battery appears to be an exception, as its building accounts (Misura & Conto) fail to mention any expenses for the construction of arches or barrel vaults.

The wall that may have been built after most of the original blockhouse collapsed. Unlike the other walls, the wall lacks the distinctive border formed by the top row of stones. Photo: Author’s collection

Nonetheless, the room exhibits certain characteristics typical of Hospitaller structures, including its height and the presence of a border formed by the top row of stones – a feature commonly observed in several Knight-period blockhouses in Mellieħa.

A view of the room that may be the only remaining part of Fedeau Battery’s blockhouse. Photo: Author’s collection

Thus, it is possible that the small room we see today is the only surviving part of the original right-sided blockhouse. One could speculate that its small size indicates that most of the blockhouse may have collapsed sometime after 1761 and was never fully rebuilt.

Instead, it seems that someone repaired what was left of the ruined blockhouse, creating the current smaller room, using wooden beams to support its roof. Notably, one wall differs from the rest as it lacks the distinctive border present on the other walls.

Moreover, a closer examination of the uppermost courses of stones making up the interior of this wall shows that the masonry stones are simply stacked on top of each other without interlocking, suggesting that this was built hastily or by an amateur. Further research is required here before a satisfactory conclusion can be reached.

In conclusion, Fedeau Battery appears to have served a dual role, reflecting a shift in the Order’s priorities from defence to boosting the island’s economy. It wasn’t the only coastal fortification to undergo modifications for commercial purposes; for instance, Ximenes Redoubt was partly converted into a salt magazine in the 18th century.

Although very little of Fedeau Battery remains, the surviving room potentially attributed to it should be preserved, serving as a reminder of the coastal work that once defended Mellieħa Bay and functioned as an officina della Tonnara.

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Jeffrey Sammut, Alistair Caruana and the staff at the National Library of Malta and National Archives of Malta. In his research, the author also referred to Fortifications of the Knights Hospitallers in Mellieħa by Jimmy and Jonathan Muscat, The Art of Fortress Building in Hospitaller Malta by Stephen C. Spiteri, and Tuna Fishing at Mellieħa, in Mellieħa Through the Tides of Time, Volume 2, by David Muscat.