It was built by the Order of Saint John in 1715–1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands.

[1] The battery originally consisted of a mostly rectangular platform with a rounded end at the north.

The redoubt was named after the knight Emmanuele Arrias, and an inscription commemorating him is located above the main entrance.

[2] The battery eventually became a summer residence of the Borg Cardona family.

These include a second-floor added to the blockhouse and a flight of steps leading to an entrance facing the sea.