St. John Bastion is commanded to
its rear by a large, two-tiered cavalier which was designed to serve as a
towering artillery platform. The present configuration of the cavalier appears
to date to the early 1720s when it was rebuilt and altered to the design of the
French military engineer Charles François de Mondion. Some minor alterations,
particularly to the parapets and embrasures were made by the British military
in the course of the early 19th century. Presently, St. John Cavalier houses the
local branch of the Scout Association. Adjoining the bastion and cavalier
stands the Curtain of France (or French Curtain as it is sometimes called)
which is the central curtain linking the two main bastions making up the land
front defences of Birgu. This curtain was originally backed by a raised
platform that was removed in the course of the early 20th century to make space
for a larger public square. The curtain also suffered extensive damage from
aerial bombing in World War Two, resulting in a large central breach. This
damage was eventually repaired in the decades after the War when the breach was
plugged in with masonry. The ERDF 039 project has sought to repair and restore
the consumed masonry fabric of the cavalier and curtain.