Garden reopened to the public after a €1 million investment
Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli reopened the upper part of St Philip’s Garden, in Floriana after Ambjent Malta completed the first phase of the restoration of this historic site, dating back to the 17th century.
St Philip’s Garden, located next to the Argotti Garden, is one of five gardens in Floriana that together form the Malta National Botanical Garden, which Ambjent Malta is gradually restoring in line with a long-term plan. Minister Dalli reopened the upper part of St Philip’s Garden, a green open space of approximately 7,000 square meters, along with Ambjent Malta Director General Herman Galea, National Botanical Garden Steering Committee Chairperson Ray Azzopardi and the Floriana Local Council, led by Mayor Vincent Borg.
The €1 million works by Ambjent Malta included the restoration of the Knights’ bastions surrounding the garden, the polverista, and the Fountain by Alof de Wignacourt, dating back to 1622. Originally located in St. George Square, Valletta, this fountain was moved to St Philip’s Garden during British rule.
Ambjent Malta workers installed new lighting and underground automatic irrigation systems, replaced the concrete surfaces of pathways with hardstone paving, and installed new railings.
While this garden already has an abundant variety of trees and other plants added throughout the years, Ambjent Malta has further enriched its biodiversity by planting more than 520 trees that are typically found in different Mediterranean habitats, following the plan of the National Botanical Garden.
The next phase of works at St Philip’s Garden will include the restoration of the main entranceway and the Sally Port, which connects the upper and lower parts of the garden. Additionally, there will be interventions to improve accessibility for everyone, along with more trees and plants, electrical installations, paving, and other improvements.
Minister Miriam Dalli thanked the workers for their work in this historic garden and stated that the Botanical Gardens project is giving a new lease of life to these places of recreation in the heart of Floriana.
“Through this ongoing work, we are fulfilling the government’s primary commitment to open more green open spaces and revive existing ones, making them greener and more family friendly. In this garden, we can truly appreciate nature in a place with centuries-old history, as Ambjent Malta’s restoration works are enhancing its architectural splendour. I look forward to the continuation of this extensive project which will ultimately lead to the creation of Malta’s National Botanical Garden, with its rich biodiversity, spread over five historical gardens,” said Minister Dalli.
Ambjent Malta employees and members of the National Botanical Garden Steering Committee were also present for the opening of St Philip’s Garden.
St Philip’s Garden is open to the public every day, from 6am to 8pm between July and September, and from 6am to 5pm during the rest of the year. For more information follow Ambjent Malta on Facebook and Instagram.
Ambjent Malta tlesti l-ewwel fażi tar-restawr ta’ Ġnien San Filippu fil-Furjana
Il-ġnien miftuħ mill-ġdid għall-pubbliku wara investiment ta’ €1 miljun
Il-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża Miriam Dalli fetħet mill-ġdid in-naħa ta’ fuq ta’ Ġnien San Filippu, fil-Furjana, wara li Ambjent Malta lestiet l-ewwel fażi tar-restawr ta’ dan l-ispazju miftuħ li jmur lura għas-seklu 17.
Ġnien San Filippu, li jinsab biswit il-Ġnien tal-Argotti, huwa wieħed minn katina ta’ ħames ġonna fil-Furjana li flimkien jiffurmaw il-Ġnien Botaniku Nazzjonali ta’ Malta, u li Ambjent Malta qed tirrestawra b’mod gradwali skont pjan fit-tul. Il-Ministru Dalli fetħet mill-ġdid in-naħa ta’ fuq ta’ Ġnien San Filippu, spazju miftuħ aħdar ta’ madwar 7,000 metru kwadru, flimkien mad-Direttur Ġenerali ta’ Ambjent Malta, Herman Galea, iċ-Chairperson tal-Kumitat ta’ Tmexxija tal-Ġnien Botaniku Nazzjonali, Ray Azzopardi, u l-Kunsill Lokali tal-Furjana mmexxi mis-Sindku Vincent Borg.
Ix-xogħlijiet ta’ Ambjent Malta f’dan il-ġnien, b’investiment ta’ €1 miljun, kienu jinkludu restawr tas-swar tal-Kavallieri li jdawru l-ġnien, ir-restawr tal-polverista u r-restawr tal-Funtana ta’ Alof de Wignacourt li tmur lura għall-1622. Din il-funtana kienet oriġinarjament tinsab fi Pjazza San Ġorġ, il-Belt Valletta, iżda fi żmien l-Ingliżi ġiet trasferita fi Ġnien San Filippu.
Il-ħaddiema ta’ Ambjent Malta għaddew sistemi ġodda ta’ dwal u ta’ tisqija awtomatika minn taħt l-art, neħħew il-konkos li kien qed jiksi l-passaġġi u ksewhom b’pavimentar taż-żonqor filwaqt li waħħlu puġġamani ġodda.
Filwaqt li dan il-ġnien diġà kellu taħlita ta’ siġar u pjanti oħra li żdiedu matul is-snin, Ambjent Malta kompliet isseddaq il-bijodiversità tiegħu bit-tħawwil ta’ aktar minn 520 siġra li normalment jikbru f’abitati differenti tal-Mediterran, skont il-pjan tal-Ġnien Botaniku Nazzjonali.
Il-fażijiet ta’ xogħol li jmiss fi Ġnien San Filippu jinkludu r-restawr tal-entratura prinċipali, ir-restawr ta’ Sally Port li jgħaqqad il-parti ta’ fuq man-naħa ta’ isfel, interventi sabiex il-ġnien isir aċċessibbli għal kulħadd, flimkien ma’ iktar tħawwil ta’ siġar u ta’ pjanti, installazzjonijiet elettriċi, pavimentar u ħidma oħra.
Il-Ministru Miriam Dalli rringrazzjat lill-ħaddiema għax-xogħol li wettqu f’dan il-ġnien storiku u tenniet li l-proġett tal-ġonna botaniċi qed jagħti ħajja ġdida lil dawn il-postijiet ta’ rikreazzjoni fil-qalba tal-Furjana.
“Għaddejjin b’ħidma kontinwa biex inwettqu l-wegħda ewlenija ta’ dan il-gvern li niftħu aktar spazji miftuħa u rikreattivi, filwaqt li ntejbu dawk eżistenti biex ikunu aktar ħodor u aktar komdi għall-familji. F’dan il-ġnien nistgħu napprezzaw in-natura f’post bi storja ta’ mijiet ta’ snin, hekk kif ir-restawr ta’ Ambjent Malta qed jeżalta s-sbuħija arkitettonika tiegħu. Inħares ’il quddiem lejn it-tkomplija ta’ dan il-proġett estensiv li se jwassal biex pajjiżna jkollu l-Ġnien Botaniku Nazzjonali b’bijodiversità rikka, mifrux fuq ħames ġonna storiċi qrib xulxin,” qalet il-Ministru Dalli.
Preżenti għall-ftuħ ta’ din il-fażi ta’ Ġnien San Filippu kien hemm ukoll il-ħaddiema ta’ Ambjent Malta u l-membri tal-Kumitat tat-Tmexxija tal-Ġnien Botaniku Nazzjonali.
Ġnien San Filippu jinsab miftuħ għall-pubbliku kuljum, mis-sitta ta’ filgħodu sat-tmienja ta’ filgħaxija bejn Lulju u Settembru, u mis-sitta ta’ filgħodu sal-ħamsa ta’ filgħaxija matul il-kumplament tas-sena. Għal iktar tagħrif segwi lil Ambjent Malta fuq Facebook u Instagram.
