During the Maltese uprising against the French between 1798 and 1800 the city was used as a base by the Maltese insurgents. A memorable battle on 5 October 1798 took place in front of the Ħaż-Żabbar Sanctuary. To this day, French-era cannonballs are to be seen in a household wall in the city's older parts and some are also in the church museum after being retrieved from the old church dome.