A 19th century beauty! Villa Frere and its gardens being restored to former glory
The Pieta villa was built by British diplomat, poet, scholar and philanthropist, John Hookham Frere.
During the past months, the 19th century Villa Frere and its surrounding gardens have been undergoing extensive restoration works to transform the site to the beauty it once was.
The restoration works so far have focused on the Gardeners’ Cottage and Villa Hay, the latter being one of the buildings in the gardens which was used as a retreat for John Hookham Frere’s wife.
The restoration and rebuilding of a boundary wall with a neighbouring property are also underway.
Built in the early 19th century in Tal-Pietà, Villa Frere became the residence of British diplomat, poet, scholar and philanthropist,, John Hookham Frere.
After his wife’s demise in 1831, he built extensive terraced gardens at the rear of the property, from where he enjoyed wide open views spanning from Mdina to Valletta. He could also look out at the Msida Bastion Cemetery, where his wife is buried.
Among the distinguished people who visited the gardens were Queen Mary of England in 1912 and Queen Marie of Romania in 1924.
The beauty and charm of this place led to the publication in 1930 of a long article, accompanied by beautiful photographs of Villa Frere and its gardens, in the prestigious British publication 'Country Life'.
Nowadays, Heritage Malta is the official owner of Villa Frere and following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in 2019, the Agency handed over the administration to Friends of Villa Frere whilst directly helping to protect the place.
In addition, a Grade 1 scheduling for Villa Frere and its gardens was also carried out by the Planning Authority in 2020.
These, together with the opening of the gardens to the public from time to time, have helped to raise awareness of the historical and cultural importance of Villa Frere.
Instagram/Villa Frere