Floriana Local Council Is Twinned with Macerata in Italy and Kerçem in Gozo
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discover FlorianA Historic Walks in a G reen citY FLORIANA Borgo Vilhena Victor J. Rizzo Floriana – A Brief History Portes des Bombes with one arch in 1721 Old Postcard of Floriana Floriana now has a population of about 2,600 inhabitants, somewhat The town of Floriana is situated a stone’s throw away from the capital low considering that in 1860 the population reached a peak of 7,871. city, Valletta. The origins of Floriana date back to 1634 when Grand This town covers an area of 133 acres extending from City Gate to Master Antoine de Paule, sensing another attack by the Ottoman Turks, Portes des Bombes, an enceinte between the inner and outer defences. brought over an Italian engineer, Pietro Paolo Floriani of Macerata, to examine the state of the Islands’ fortifi cations. His recommendations were to the effect that in the stretch of land just outside Valletta, other fortifi cations were necessary to prevent a situation whereby the enemy could see directly into the capital city. Notwithstanding some initial opposition, works on the fortifi cations were eventually taken in hand and completed in 1721 ending with what is today Portes des Bombes, having an extension of over 4 Km. With the accession of Fra Antonio Manoel de Vilhena to the post of Grand Master in 1722 this town was given the name of Borgo Vilhena. However, the residents kept calling their old town Floriana and so it has remained. Borgo Vilhena features in the coat-of-arms of Floriana. Train emerging at Floriana from Valletta terminus 2 Floriana 3 At its highest point, Floriana is Floriana is greatly underestimated by the Maltese. Mentioning about 39 metres above sea level. Floriana, to many it brings to mind only the Granaries, offi cially Below Floriana lies a tunnel of St Publius Square being the largest square in Malta, St Publius as the the Malta Railways starting from patron Saint of the town, and the football team. the ditch below the bastions near Floriana offers an immense heritage and a rich history. You are invited Portes des Bombes to the ditch at to discover Floriana walking along most of its gardens. Floriana has no the entrance into Valletta. This less than 15 gardens. A quick look at the map will reveal that nearly tunnel is nearly 1Km long but it half the area of Floriana is made up of green and open spaces. It can is walled up at the exits. arguably be styled as the green city of Europe. The buildings, churches and monuments in this locality provide an insight into Malta’s political and social past from the time of the Knights Train tunnel exit from Valletta side of St. John to the present day. The residents also have a strong sense of identity. Floriana Local Council is twinned with Macerata in Italy and Kerçem in Gozo. All buses leading to or from Valletta pass through Floriana Acknowledgements Din l-Art Óelwa would like to thank: The author Mr Victor J Rizzo; Mr Nigel Holland, Mayor of Floriana Local Council for his support and information on Floriana; The Executive Secretary and Members of the Floriana Local Council; Photographs by the author and Mr Andrew Gauci Attard. Photos of main altar and St Publius in Parish Church by Mr Christian Barun. Old photos from “Malta & Gozo - Then & now” by Joseph Bonnici and Michael Cassar. Floriana map designed by Mr Mario Galea. Front and back covers from photos of Mr Andrew Gauci Attard. © 2010 - Din l-Art Óelwa and Floriana Local Council Printed by Best Print Co Ltd. Floriana viewed from Valletta ISBN No. 978-99909-980-9-2 4 Floriana 5 Walk No. 1 (Approx. duration 2 hr) Floriana Gardens – Central This tour takes you to 3 main gardens in Floriana - The Mall, Argotti and St Philip Gardens with some history on the Malta Railways. You will walk back to the start along Wignacourt Fountain, Sarria Chapel, Floriana Parish Church, the Granaries and the Air Forces Memorial. Monument of Christ the King statue commemorates the Independence of Malta from the British Empire on 21 September 1964. The monument was erected in 1989 modelled by the Maltese sculptor John Bonnici. Old photo of ‘Biskuttin’ and The Mall Gardens Independence Monument This walk starts, and ends, near the monument of Christ the King near the Tritons Fountain by the main entrance to Valletta. This area is known locally as “Biskuttin”, literally a small biscuit. The bronze monument of Christ the King is the work of the renowned Maltese artist Antonio Sciortino. The monument was erected to commemorate the International Eucharistic Congress of 1913. Apart from the imposing fi gure of Christ, the monument includes the fi gure of a lady representing Malta kneeling in homage of Christ. Keep going straight crossing very carefully towards the Independence Monument situated at the entrance of The Mall gardens. This bronze 6 Floriana 7 The Mall Gardens Entrance to The Mall Garden is through any one of the two arches. This narrow garden of about 400m in length was constructed by Coat of Arms Grand Master Lascaris in 1656 as a place for Walking the whole length recreation for the Knights where they used to of the garden you can have a play a ball game called ‘Palla a Maglio’. A closer look at the monuments. sort of croquet much in vogue at that time. At the end, behind the The garden used to be totally building which is now enclosed by a wall which was government offi ces, cross over removed after World War II as carefully towards Wignacourt it was extensively damaged. Fountain. Here you will fi nd a number of This is an ornamental monuments commemorating monument erected by Grand prominent Maltese personalities Master Alof de Wignacourt to of the Islands’ political and social commemorate the arrival of history. the water supply to Floriana in 1615. Nowadays, the water Ornate Fountain in trough with an overlying The Mall fleur-de-lys still provides a fresh drink to horses which Wignacourt Fountain 8 Floriana frequently stop here with the traditional horse-drawn carriages known locally as the karrozzin. The coats-of-arms of the Order and that of GM Huge Ficus with entwined roots Wignacourt embellish the doorway. The entrance to the Argotti Gardens is exactly behind the fountain. The private section, known as The Argotti Herbarium and University Botanic Gardens, is administered by the Department of Agriculture but it has also been entrusted to the University of Malta since 1855 interrupted by a 23-year period starting in 1973. The University keeps a dedicated botanical section which is used for educational purposes as well as housing a specialist selection of plants. In this respect, Argotti’s past has been greatly associated with Maltese medical and surgical history. Medicinal herbs are said to have been grown here since the Maltese Islands’ rule by the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. At some time after the war, an anatomical laboratory was also temporarily Entrance to Argotti Gardens set up in one of the back rooms. There are two main sections to these gardens, the public and private The origins of the Argotti Gardens go back to the early 18th century sections. Argote’s summer residence was in the latter part near the and were laid out as two private gardens. One belonged to Knight entrance. Don Emmanuel Pinto and the other to the Bailiff Ignatius de Argote et The gardens have a rich collection of trees and shrubs from oaks Guzman. When Pinto was elected Grand Master of the Order in 1740, to oleanders and potted plants, especially cacti. The huge Ficus trees de Argote purchased Pinto’s part, annexed it to his own garden and built have become a landmark in the garden with their entwined roots fused his summer residence here where it still exists. together. The gardens also hold a variety of water features – fountains In 1800, the British governor appointed a Carmelite friar as Malta’s and ponds. fi rst professor of natural history. He assembled the plants in Floriana’s The private section, run by the University of Malta, has a number Mall Gardens and fi ve years later were moved to the site of the present of Maltese indigenous and endemic plants. Foreign plants mostly of Argotti Gardens. 10 Floriana 11 tropical origin are hosted in the greenhouses. The herbarium houses marine plants, fungi and a laboratory. The old summerhouse of Bailiff de Argote has been converted into an exhibition hall, museum of garden history and plant science, plant pressing equipment, gardening maps and records. Grotto in the section of the University of Malta Former greenhouse in garden As you leave the Argotti Gardens turn right towards the entrance of St Philip Gardens. A ramp leads down to the lower gardens of St Philip (Ìnien San Filippu) aptly named after St Philip’s bastion on which it stands. The ramp was constructed for a proposed external Floriana railway station which was never built. Halfway down the ramp you will walk through an arched gate. Do The nympheum, from a watercolour by Kenneth Zammit Tabona notice the raised door in the ceiling which used to be operated by chained pulleys which are still visible. When closed, this door could only be Near the entrance gate there is a curious grotto, a nympheum, raised from inside the fortifi cations. embellished with coloured stones, red corals, sea shells, and a decorated Fountain in the centre of Argotti Gardens fl oor. It originally formed part of Bailiff Argote’s villa on the site.