Description
The San Anton Gardens in Attard are a true gem.
The gardens have been open to the public since 1882 and have been enjoyed by generations of families in Malta since Victorian times.
They surround an ornate palace built by Grand Master of the Knights of St John, Antoine de Paule, as his summer residence in 1636 – it’s now the official residence of the President of Malta.
The gardens have several paved walkways where you can discover fountains, follies and ponds with ducks, turtles and swans.
If you’re lucky, you may even spot the odd peacock or two strutting around the flower beds.
For many years it has been customary for visiting Heads of State to plant a tree in memory of their stay in Malta. Some of the trees at San Anton Gardens are more than 300 years old.
A sweet-smelling orangery lies at the heart of the walled gardens.
It was once the practice of incumbent Governors to give baskets of oranges grown in the palace gardens as gifts at Christmas time.
In the footage, above, Governor-General Sir Maurice Dorman is seen hosting an event at San Anton in the 1960s.
