Nine Monuments Maglio Gardens Project

In June 2011, FIMBank announced its sponsorship of the conservation of the nine monuments which adorn the Maglio Gardens in Floriana, better known to the Maltese as "il-Mall". The project will be coordinated by Din L-Art Helwa.  The Maglio Gardens date to the time of Grand Master Lascaris (1636-1657), and it is recorded that he built these as a recreational area for the knights, where they could indulge in pastimes including a game similar to croquet, called 'palamaglio', hence the name. The gardens were opened to the public during the British period.  The monuments which will be the focus of the conservation project commemorate personalities who made an impact on Maltese society, namely Sir Luigi Preziosi, Sir Adrian Dingli, Sir Ugo Mifsud, Marquis Joseph Scicluna, Sir Hannibal Scicluna, Dr Filippo Sciberras, Marquis Vincenzo Bugeja, Aloisio Pisani and Giovanni Di Nicolo Pappaffy.

The implementation of the project, which is estimated to take between six and nine months, will commence once the required permits are in hand. The Heritage ResCo conservation team have been entrusted with the conservation-restoration of the Maglio Garden monuments. They are co-ordinating the works together with the Floriana Local Council and Environmental Landscapes Consortium Ltd. Works on the various monuments will be tackled according to their individual state of preservation, but will generally address the effects of unfavourable atmospheric conditions, in particular the natural weathering process caused mainly by salt deposition, as well as the effects of vandalism.