The tower was built on the edge of a cliff , which was prone to erosion . In 1681 , it was briefly abandoned after part of the cliff face collapsed . The Order still kept a garrison in the tower , but further damage was sustained in the 1693 Sicily earthquake , when cracks on the cliff face extended to beneath the tower . The Order sent an engineer to inspect the damage , but he believed that the tower would remain standing for at least another century . Despite this , new cracks developed by 1701 , and plans were made to abandon the tower and build a new one to replace it
1693 Sicily earthquake
1693 Sicily earthquake
Marsalforn Tower