“Master Mason’s” Gate and west knight blockhouse
The gate, which opens to the west side of the bastion and today is the independent entrance to the event area which has been created at the historical grand master’s garden space, was known as the “Master Mason’s” gate, one of the most important gates of the fortified city of the Knights. It is a gate configuration typical to the 14th c. – early 15th, which seems that initially was like a tower and intervened between the byzantine moat and offered access to the Palace advance wall and the city, as well as the bastion with the grand master garden. The gate had an ogival opening and a movable drawbridge, which spanned the outer moat, the rectangular frame of which is still visible. The gate design was completed in early 15th c. with a barbacane of the early period, which bears the coats of arms of the Grand Master Fluvian (1421-1437), the construction of which interrupted the moat continuation and the road to St Antonios at the north of Mantraki harbour.
The oldest part of the fortifications is the west and a part of the northern side, while to the north-east, it probably consisted of a natural inclined area which ended up to Mantraki harbour, in proportion to the known as “Orsini rampart”, to the east, which remains the same to this day.
The west side blockhouse had the purpose of covering the initial access from Mantraki port and St Antonios church. During the building phase following the 1480 siege, the Grand Master D’ Aubusson, according to the inset coats of arms, ordered a radical restructuring of the west and north sides of the bastion, by organising elevated artillery points and strong railings.