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Ninety seconds on Villa Portelli
Heritage Malta has listed regular Sunday openings for the gardens, plus occasional special open days through the year. Current opening times for both are on its Villa Portelli page.
Yes, on the open days Heritage Malta has listed, entry was free for adults, seniors, students and children. Heritage Malta has also said the restored villa will be free for the public to enjoy.
It stands on Triq Marina in Kalkara, between Kalkara and Vittoriosa (Birgu), on the slope above Kalkara Creek. Heritage Malta's Villa Portelli page links directions and public transport.
Walking the restored gardens of Villa Portelli, above Kalkara Creek just outside Birgu, takes you round the house where British admirals in Malta once lived, with a terrace facing Villa Bighi across the water.
Dating from the early 19th century, the villa takes its name from its earliest known owner, Agostino Portelli, a Valletta businessman and statesman. The house was conceived as a countryside escape from the busy Grand Harbour, and its large gardens once ran down to the sea on one side.
In 1902 the British Admiralty requisitioned the villa, and it became the residence of the Malta Flag Officer and the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.
What you walk through today are the outer gardens, restored as the first stage of the project. They are smaller than they were, because parts of the grounds gave way over the years to roads into the rest of Kalkara.
A visit starts in the outer gardens, the part of the site with regular openings, and they make an easy stroll on the hillside above Kalkara Creek.
Heritage Malta describes curated interpretation and audio-visual displays along the villa's halls and spaces. Check its Villa Portelli page for whether the house is open on the day you go.
Inside, Heritage Malta plans a multisensory experience built on virtual reality. The planned themes run from Malta's underwater cultural heritage and traditional boat building to climate change, Kalkara and the Admiral's residence.
With children, choose one of Heritage Malta's special open days over a regular opening. These have been announced with activities and workshops for a range of ages and tastes, and the dates appear on the What's On listings on its website.
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