Best known for having served as the only permanent residence outside the United Kingdom for Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, between 1949 and 1951, Villa Guardamangia, despite laying in ruins since its royal occupation, remains a source of elusive wonder.
This is set to change following the announcement that the 18th-century building, intended as a Maltese country summer house, has been granted a €10.2 million grant by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for its restoration.
Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, Owen Bonnici, shared the news during a timely official visit to the villa by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.
Assistant curator of the Villa Guardamangia project, Giancarlo Azzopardi, told Times of Malta that the funds will primarily be directed towards the villa’s restoration over a course of four to six years.
After bring acquired from private owners five years ago by the Maltese government, it was entrusted to Heritage Malta in June 2020 with plans to convert it into a museum, focusing on its recent history while preserving its layered past.
Within its crumbling walls are vestiges of its original splendour – large rooms with high ceilings, colourful patterned tiles, sculptured details, wrought-iron work and faded wall paintings. The villa is spread across over 1,500sqm and includes 18 rooms, stables, an extensive garden and servants’ quarters.
Main photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna for Cabana Magazine
