Rehabilitation, restoration and conservation works begin at Villa Guardamangia, where Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince Philip lived for periods between 1949 and 1951.
The Villa Guardamangia project is expected to take around three years to complete and is estimated to cost just over €12 million, of which more than €10 million will be financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
On the occasion of this new phase in the Villa Guardamangia project, which followed a phase of preparation and planning, the Minister for Culture, Lands and Local Government Owen Bonnici and the Minister for European Funds and the Implementation of the Electoral Programme Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi visited the site. They were given a tour of the villa by the management of Heritage Malta.
Minister Owen Bonnici remarked, “This is another important step so that our historical heritage, which also has an international impact in light of the link with the British Royal family, continues to be protected and enjoyed.” He said that this project is just one of more than 40 restoration projects of a different and varied nature and this shows a serious commitment to giving new value to our history as a people. Dr Bonnici stressed that the Villa Guardamangia rehabilitation project can be considered a unique one because it was thanks to the Government’s wisdom that the Villa was purchased from the private sector, the necessary applications for European funds were made and now they are showing a serious commitment to complete this project for the enjoyment of the Maltese people and the tourists who visit us.
Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, stated that the Villa Guardamangia project is a clear example of how European funds, when used strategically, can bring social, cultural and economic added value. He explained that more than €10 million of the investment is being financed by the European Regional Development Fund and that this support will allow a historical site that had been abandoned for many years to be transformed into a living and sustainable cultural attraction. Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi added that with such an investment, the Government is not only preserving the past but is also creating new opportunities for education, tourism and the community as a whole.
Noel Zammit, Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Malta, said that the restoration of Villa Guardamangia further demonstrates Heritage Malta’s commitment to accessibility and the need to ensure that the public feels at one with our cultural heritage. This heritage is not just the artefacts in museums or historical documents but is also the collective memory of the nation and old buildings that people still remember as residences of the past. Once Villa Guardamangia is brought back to life, an address that for centuries was the privilege of a few becomes part of the heritage of all.
Among other works, parts of the facade that were in imminent danger of falling were supported, and other parts of the building were reinforced to stop the damage that was being done. A detailed architectural survey of the entire property was also carried out and tonnes of building and other materials were removed. Stone statues that adorned the garden, as well as domestic appliances that were used in the villa in the 1940s and 1950s, were conserved by Heritage Malta after years of neglect. Decorative patterns painted on the walls were uncovered so that they could be restored.
Information was also collected on environmental factors such as heat and humidity in the villa to guide future decisions. Extensive research was carried out into the history of the building, its owners, and its furnishings over the years. Heritage Malta also collected first-hand testimony from people who lived in the villa before and after the royal couple lived there, as well as from others who worked there or provided their services to the royal couple.
Villa Guardamangia consists of 18 rooms, stables, an underground shelter and a large garden. The works will consist of restoration both inside and outside the villa and will include the necessary installations for the building to function in a way that is sustainable from an environmental protection point of view.
The experience of Villa Guardamangia when the restoration is complete will focus on the human aspect and the sense of normality that the royal couple enjoyed so dearly during the periods they spent at the villa. The villa’s environment will be recreated as it was in the 1950s, so that the visitor can be offered an experience of a historic house of the period. A small exhibition and documentary will help the public understand the relations between Malta and the royal family over the centuries, as well as the historical colonial context in which the royal couple came to Malta in the mid-20th century.
