'Most haunted' Villa Sans Souci earmarked for old people’s home

A development proposal has been submitted for a four-storey elderly care home on the site of the iconic Villa Sans Souci in the outskirts of Marsaxlokk. 

The project plans to integrate the villa, which is in a dilapidated state, and its grounds into a facility that will have 74 rooms and three basement levels for ancillary services and parking. 

The project will be spread over 4,227sq.m of land in the Outside Development Zone (ODZ) along Triq iż-Żejtun, the main road leading to Marsaxlokk.  

The villa will be restored and is set to house a restaurant, wellness centre, clinics, and administrative offices to complement the care home. 

The new structure is designed to match the height of the existing old villa but will incorporate an additional floor on part of the current building. Plans indicate that an old wall along the perimeter of the road will be demolished. 

According to the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED), developing elderly care homes in ODZ areas is permissible only if alternative sites within urban areas and development zones have been considered first. 

Other policies allow the redevelopment of existing buildings for new uses only if the project results in environmental improvements. 

But the site of the villa is currently designated as an Area of Landscape Protection, which normally excludes urban developments. 

The current development proposal is being put forward by Daniel Zahra, the owner of Danzah Limited which is behind an application to develop a seven-storey old people’s home in Misraħ tal-Madonna Medjatriċi in Żabbar, less than 60m away from the parish church, and another application for the development of a hotel near the Ferretti restaurant in Birżebbuġa. 

Villa Sans Souci’s haunted past 

Constructed in 1870 by Professor Salvatore Luigi Pisani, Malta's first Chief Government Medical Officer, Villa Sans Souci served as a meeting place for the aristocracy. Pisani resided in the villa until his death in 1908.  

Following Pisani's death, the villa was used by his heirs as a country or summer residence. In the 1930s, it briefly operated as a hotel or guest house before being sold in 1940. During World War II, the Royal Air Force utilised the villa for accommodation. It is also said that the villa was later used as a brothel. Over the years, in popular lore Villa Sans Souci has gained a reputation for being  one of Malta's most haunted properties. Visitors have reported spine-chilling noises and an intense feeling of dread and paranoia. 

In 2000, the Planning Authority approved an outline permit to convert the villa into a five-star hotel, which included the demolition of parts of the derelict building. However, a renewal application submitted in 2005 was subsequently withdrawn.