Volunteering has become the driving force behind the restoration and preservation of the historic gardens of Villa Frere, a site of significant cultural and historical importance for Malta.

Today, around fifteen dedicated volunteers regularly contribute their time and effort to maintain and restore the gardens. Through their commitment, the once-neglected space has been cleaned, improved and carefully restored. As a result, the gardens are now opened to the public once a month, allowing visitors to appreciate this unique piece of Maltese heritage.

In 2019, Heritage Malta entrusted the administration of the gardens to the voluntary organisation ‘Friends of Villa Frere’. A year later, the villa and its gardens were officially scheduled as a Grade 1 property by the Planning Authority, recognising their exceptional historical value. Restoration works have also been carried out on Villa Hay, a building within the gardens that once served as a retreat for the wife of John Hookham Frere.

The work of these volunteers demonstrates how civic engagement can play a vital role in safeguarding national heritage. The project also reflects the principles of the Malta Vision 2050 strategy, which promotes cultural heritage, community participation and sustainable development.

Villa Frere itself carries deep historical significance. It was created in the early 19th century by Hookham Frere, who developed the gardens and used them as a meeting place for intellectual discussion with Maltese scholar Mikiel Anton Vassalli. Their conversations about language and culture have led many historians to consider the villa a symbolic birthplace of the written Maltese language.

Further plans aim to reconnect the villa with its gardens and integrate the site within a wider cultural landscape that includes nearby Villa Guardamangia.

Have you ever visited Villa Frere?