San Anton Palace () is a palace in Attard, Malta, that currently serves as the official residence of the president of Malta. It was originally built in the early 17th century as a country villa for Antoine de Paule, a knight of the Order of St. John. It was expanded into a palace following de Paule's election as Grand Master in 1623.

The palace was used as a residence by subsequent Grand Masters, being enlarged a number of times in the process. It was the headquarters of the rebel National Assembly during the uprising of 1798–1800, and it later became a residence for the civil commissioners, governors and governors-general of Malta. It was often used by British sovereigns and other royalty during their stay in Malta. It has been the official residence of the president since the office was created in December 1974.

The palace is surrounded by the extensive San Anton Gardens, parts of which have been open to the public since 1882.

History

thumb|left|Grand Master [[Antoine de Paule, who first built the palace in the early 17th century]]

In around 1600, Antoine de Paule, a knight of the Order of St. John from the Langue of Provence, acquired a piece of land in Attard and built a country villa. De Paule was elected Grand Master in 1623, and the villa was subsequently enlarged into a palace The palace was named San Anton after the Grand Master's patron saint, Anthony of Padua.

thumb|Coat of arms of [[Antoine de Paule at the palace]]

De Paule planned the villa on generous proportions to provide accommodation for his guests and his large domestic staff which included cooks, food tasters, torch bearers, pantry boys, wig makers, a winder of the clocks, physicians, as well as a baker to make black bread for feeding his hunting dogs.

thumb|left|Courtyard at San Anton Palace

The palace subsequently became the official residence of the governor and, later, governor-general of Malta. Some structural changes were made during British rule, including a reduction of the height of the tower after it was hit by lightning in 1819, and the addition of a balustraded walk around the main courtyard. Parts of the palace's gardens were opened to the public in 1882.

Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the palace during her royal visits to Malta in 1954, 1967 and 2005.

The palace and its gardens were included on the Antiquities List of 1925. It is now a Grade 1 national monument, and it is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.

thumb|Car park at San Anton Palace, with the wall that collapsed in October 2018 on the right

On 17 October 2018 a stretch of a historic wall forming part of the palace collapsed. There were no injuries. Emergency work was undertaken to conserve the remaining part of the wall, which had been restored a few months before.

Architecture

San Anton Palace is a two-storey building, with a high square tower which has panoramic views of the surrounding area. The chapel's denomination is now Roman Catholic, and it was restored in 2013.

Gardens

thumb|left|San Anton Gardens

thumb|The President's Secret Garden, one of the two private gardens that is occasionally open to the public

San Anton Gardens are laid out in a formal manner, with graceful walkways, sculptures, ornamental ponds with ducks, swans and turtles, and a small aviary.

The gardens 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. The Malta Community Chest Fund, a charitable organization headed by the president, also occasionally holds fund-raising events at the palace.

The President's Kitchen Garden is located across the street from San Anton Palace, close to Villa Bologna. While not being physically part of the palace, it is part of the property of the palace and under the president of Malta. It offers a privately contracted food retreat, and profits go to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Legacy

San Anton Palace and its gardens probably influenced subsequent Grand Masters to build their own residences and gardens, such as Giovanni Paolo Lascaris, who built Ġnien is-Sultan in Valletta, and António Manoel de Vilhena, who built Casa Leoni in Santa Venera.

References

  • National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands