HISTORY

Constructed by the Order of Saint John in 1554, the Macina formed part of a bastion which was to protect Senglea from invaders over the centuries to come and was an important landmark in the city. At the start of the 16th century, an enormous wooden construction – the “Macina” – was added to the building. This was a sheer crane able to lift heavy loads or entire parts of sailing ships onto land. In 1864 the wooden sheers were replaced by a heavy and even more powerful iron construction. In 1927, as the “Macina” was being dismantled following its closure, it fell into the sea creating a 5 ft-high wave. From the 1970s to the mid-1990s, the Maltese Labour Party used the building as their headquarters. In 2018, the Cugó Gran Macina hotel opened its doors – and with it a landmark had been brought back to life.