San Anton Palace

San Anton Palace is a palace located in Attard, Malta. It is the official residence of the President of Malta, and is surrounded by both private and public gardens.

History

The palace was built between 1623 and 1636, during the rule of the Knights, to serve as a summer residence for Grand Master Antoine de Paule. During the British rule over Malta it was the Governor's official residence, while Verdala Palace, in the Buskett limits of Rabat, was the Governor's summer residence.

Gardens

The public gardens of San Anton, open to the public since 1882, are laid out in a formal manner, with graceful walkways, sculptures, ornamental ponds, families of ducks and swans, and a small aviary. They contain a large variety of trees and flowers from around the world, including a variety of palm trees, cypress, jacarandas, araucarias and other exotic plants, some of them over three centuries old. For many years it has been customary for visiting Heads of State to plant a tree in memory of their stay in Malta. The gardens also contain an orangerie, and it was once the practice of incumbent Governors to give baskets of oranges grown in the palace gardens as gifts at Christmas time.

Culture

A number of significant annual events are held at San Anton Gardens, including the Malta Horticultural Show, and open-air theatre, dance and musical performances.

Recent events

In 2005, Queen Elizabeth II stayed at this palace during her visit in Malta, just as she did in previous Royal visits, both in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth of Nations and, in 1954 and 1967 (i.e.: prior to the declaration of independence), in her capacity as Queen of Malta (a position she no longer retains).

Coordinates: coord|35|53|47|N|14|26|49|E|type:landmark