‘We listened’: Miriam Dalli on Romeo Romano garden

An old building originally slated to become a restaurant inside Santa Venera’s Romeo Romano gardens will instead be transformed into an educational centre managed by Nature Trust.

The historic building, which was the residence of the garden’s groundsman, is being restored through a €1 million investment and will also include a sensory garden for children with autism.

“This building was originally planned to be a kitchen garden restaurant, but after we took note of the public’s concerns, we identified a new use for it, one that brings people closer to nature,” Environment Minister Miriam Dalli said at a signing ceremony on Friday.

She said the new education centre and the restoration of the garden were testament to government’s determination to improve the quality of life of families.

The ‘secret garden’ which was not accessible to public prior to this restoration, dates back to the 18th century

Dalli presided over the signing of an agreement between GreenServ, Parks Malta, the entity that will maintain the restored gardens, and Nature Trust, the e-NGO running the national Ekoskola programme. 

The agreement will give students a hands-on opportunity to learn about nature protection and sustainability.

Richard Bilocca, WasteServ’s CEO, said that the garden’s building will be adapted for educational activities and also feature an exhibition of old agricultural tools, a green roof and a meteorological station. 

Vincent Attard, executive president of Nature Trust, welcomed the repurposing of the building into a hub for educational programmes. Through this building, the organisation will reach out to the entire community, and not only to children.

The first phase of the Romeo Romano Gardens rehabilitation will be ready in December. It includes maintenance and restoration works in parts of the garden that had been closed to the public for many years.