The town was used as
an encampment by the Ottoman armies at the outset of the Great Siege and later
as a base by the Maltese insurgents against French rule in around 1800. A
memorable battle took place in front of the Ħaż-Żabbar Sanctuary. To this day,
French-era cannon-balls are to be seen in household walls in the city's older
parts and some are also in the church museum after being retrieved from the old
church dome.
