Attard Converted House of Character

The Three Villages

Attard, Balzan and Lija are popularly known as The Three Villages because of the many characteristic features they have in common.

Attard was once considered to be the smallest of the three villages. It is, today, the largest of them with all the development that has taken place in the last decades. Nonetheless the old village core has kept its character. Properties in Attard vary from charming character homes, to the more modern villas as well as areas within this village which now offer apartments and maisonettes.

Attard became a parish in 1575 and the parish church dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary built in 1613 by the famous Maltese Architect Tumas Dingli. Although there are many imposing villas in Attard, the two outstanding residences are San Anton Palace and Villa Bologna.

San Anton Palace was built by Grandmaster Antoine de Paule soon after he was elected grandmaster in 1623. It is surrounded by extensive gardens part of which was opened to the public in 1882. San Anton Garden is, probably, the best known and most popular of the island’s public gardens. San Anton Palace has been the official residence of all the Grandmasters after de Paule and all the English Governors. Today it is the official residence of the President of Malta.

Villa Bologna, situated right across from San Anton Palace, was built in 1745 and it is one of the most beautiful homes on the island. It was the residence of Lord Gerald Strickland, Prime Minister of Malta between 1927 and 1930. It is said to have the largest private garden in Malta and it is believed to be a copy of one on Lake Como.

One also finds the Malta Railway Museum exhibiting photographs and several souvenirs related to the Malta Railway.