Villa Guardamangia restoration

Reference is made to the letter entitled ‘Historic crown jewel’ (January 4), in which the author enquired about the progress regarding works at Villa Guardamangia.

When the government purchased the property in 2020 and entrusted it to Heritage Malta, it was in a desperate state, to such an extent that a huge amount of preparatory work had to be carried out before actual restoration works could commence. Since then, work on the villa has been very much alive.

Two sections of the main façade were propped up since they were in an imminent state of collapse; tons of inert waste have been cleared from various parts of the property; a section of the garden and other areas were archaeologically investigated; two sections of the garden wall, which had collapsed, have now been restored along with the rest of the wall; garden furniture and original domestic appliances were removed from the site and restored; detailed architectural surveys of the property have been concluded and have led to the discovery of a large underground cistern; painting conservators have uncovered schemes of internal wall decorations on most internal spaces; a whole year of environmental data was collected to guide future decisions; and a preliminary report was submitted by the University College London.

Based on the above, a planning application for the restoration of the fabric has been submitted and approved by the Planning Authority. Most importantly, extensive historical research has been and is still being carried out locally and abroad on the history of the property, its owners, interiors and people who lived and worked there throughout the years, including, of course, when it was used by princess Elizabeth. Several people have also been interviewed.

It is only with such information at hand that one can make informed decisions and eventually present the building to the public.

In the meantime, a virtual experience platform, which enables the public to tour the villa in 3D, has been launched while we are compiling information for the submission of a European Regional Development Fund application, issued late last year.

KENNETH GAMBIN – Chief operations officer, Heritage Malta, Kalkara