Archbishop’s palace garden should be open to public – Valletta mayor

Access to the garden of the Archbishop’s palace should be granted to the public to serve as a green lung for the city.

“It can become the much need lungs of the city… a green respite close to the City centre,” mayor Alexiei Dingli told MaltaToday. He also proposes replacing the garden’s walls with grates.

Dingli was asked for his views on a call by submissions issued by MEPA to change the zoning of Strait Street and the old civil abattoir in Valletta to encourage the rehabilitation and revitalization of this “unique site and quarter of Valletta”, in line with the Government’s Vision 2018 for Valletta.

According to Dingli both areas should focus on culture and creativity while obviously respecting “the residents who live in the neighbourhood”.

But Dingli insists that two adjacent sites should also be included in the plan, namely the Archbishop’s Palace gardens and the Sally Port.

Apart from opening the gardens to the public Dingli proposes a trail leading all the way down into the Jew’s Sally Port towards the sea, integrating within it the areas known as the Cable, the Fossa, the area behind St Elmo and taht is-sur.

“The upgrading of the real Valletta waterfront should create an incredible venue both for Valletta residents and visitors especially during the summer months.”

According to Dingli the old civil abattoir and Strait Street would serve as an ideal place to organise cultural events, especially in venues such as the Splendid (a cultural venue) in Strait Street and in the others which exist in the area.

“I think these should offer a space where creative people can mingle with other people and where they can fuel their creativity in order to nurture an environment which pumps ideas back into the regeneration of the City and Malta at large.”

This partial review will require revisions to the current land allocations for Strait Street and the old civil abattoir as a “Secondary Retail Frontage” and “Housing Improvement Action Area” in the Grand Harbour Local Plan of 2002.

Built in the 1600s, the old slaughterhouse right behind the Auberge de Baviere was transformed into a residential area only a few years later.

The building was later turned into a naval bakery as evidenced by the soot on the surviving three capping stones of four chimneys.

The present buildings consist of two rows of rooms on two levels with 10 doorways. The upper rooms have an open terrace in front of them overlooking Triq San Karlu and Triq il-Gendus respectively. The terraces were accessible from Triq San Kristofru through an arched doorway and a short flight of stairs.

Mepa scheduled the old slaughterhouse as a Grade 1 national monument in 2008.