Its prominent location overlooking the coast, with up to a hundred kilometres of seaboard visible in clear weather,  and even the African coast, was extremely useful at a time when piracy and invasion were commonplace.
ɪts pɹˈɑːmɪnənt loʊkˈeɪʃən ˌoʊvɚlˈʊkɪŋ ðə kˈoʊst, wɪð ˌʌp tʊ ɐ hˈʌndɹɪd kˈɪləmˌiːɾɚz ʌv sˈiːboːɹd vˈɪzᵻbəl ɪn klˈɪɹ wˈɛðɚ,  ænd ˈiːvən ðɪ ˈæfɹɪkən kˈoʊst, wʌz ɛkstɹˈiːmli jˈuːsfəl æɾə tˈaɪm wɛn pˈaɪɚɹəsi ænd ɪnvˈeɪʒən wɜː kˈɑːmənplˌeɪs.