When the Knights of St. John controlled the islands of Malta, they oversaw the construction of many public works buildings that would benefit the general populace. One of their projects was the construction of windmills for providing flour, and these buildings became central parts of the villages in which they were located.
These Maltese windmills all had a very similar yet distinct design. The base of the building was typically slightly broader than the windmill sails and was square, although some windmills had bases with other shapes. This base structure often had two stories. A cylindrical tower with windmill sails stood in the center of the top of this square base. The entire structure was typically built using beige limestone.
A total of about 54 of these windmills were constructed by the Knights of St. John, mainly between the years of 1663 and 1773. When the Industrial Revolution came, however, the use of windmills to produce flour became less efficient, and many windmills fell out of use. Over the years, most of the windmills were either demolished or converted into buildings for other uses, with the sails and the milling mechanisms removed. These decommissioned windmills are quite common across the islands of Malta, while intact windmills are rare.
The Ta’ Kola Windmill in Xagħra is one of the few windmills in Malta that has retained its sails and internal milling mechanisms. The mill was originally constructed in 1725 in a different location but was rebuilt in its current location in 1787, and it was in use until 1960. Through the efforts of the family of Ġużeppi Grech, who was the windmill’s last miller, and later the museum authorities who took over the maintenance of the mill, the structure has been preserved remarkably well, and it now functions as a museum sharing the story of Malta’s windmills with all of its visitors.
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