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San Anton Gardens undergoing facelift
San Anton Gardens undergoing facelift
San Anton Gardens in Attard is currently undergoing extensive restoration works, with a focus on structural repairs of the garden walls, pathways and other features, such as benches and fountains.
The works were announced today by environment minister Aaron Farrugia, as back in September 2021, the President of Malta, George Vella, had urged him to restore the gardens back to their previous beautiful state.
Led by the ministry and including works by GreenServ and Ambjent Malta, work is being done to obtain the necessary permits. “There has been no investment in this garden for a large number of years. Now is the time to take action so that families and tourists can continue to enjoy the place, now and in future,” said the minister.
The gardens’ landscaping is being carried out by means of an agreement with the Environmental Landscaping Consortium.
What are the San Anton Gardens?
The gardens are an extension of San Anton Palace and were built between 1623 and 1636, by Grand Master Antoine de Paule. San Anton Palace was the residence of the British governor from 1802 until 1964 and is now the official residence of the Maltese president. The gardens themselves were opened to the general public back in 1882 and include a number of plaques, marking the ceremonial tree planting by various heads of state who have visited the islands.
Even Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the palace during her visit to Malta, just as she did in previous royal visits in 1954 and again in 1967.
Nowadays, San Anton Gardens are the venue for the Annual Horticultural Show and the central court functions as an open-air theatre for plays, dance, drama and musical performances during the warm summer months.
Have you ever been to San Anton gardens?
