Old trees close in over the paths before the palace shows itself. The garden at San Anton is a place of shade, water and quiet, and it sits in the middle of Attard, a town that otherwise has the ordinary bustle of central Malta.
A Grand Master’s summer house
The palace was built between 1623 and 1636 as a summer villa for Antoine de Paule, Grand Master of the Order of St John. He kept adding rooms, which is how the villa became a palace; the exterior grew steadily more luxurious. He named it for his patron saint, Anthony of Padua, which is where the name San Anton comes from.
After de Paule’s death it remained a retreat for later Grand Masters, who used it as a country residence away from the heat and crowding of Valletta. Under British rule it became the residence of the governor. Since independence it has been the official home of the President of Malta, and it hosts diplomatic meetings and receptions for visiting heads of state.
The building through time
Over the centuries the building was altered several times, and it took its present look in 1925. The palace was a strategic point during military campaigns, and it is said that generals planned battles there. Despite that history, neither the building nor the gardens suffered serious damage.
Because it is a working residence, the interior is not open to visitors, and guards control the entrance. This shapes the visit: you come for the grounds and for what you can see from them, not for a tour of rooms. The façade, with its long front and regular windows, is easy to appreciate from the paths.
Walking the gardens
Most of the visit is outdoors. The grounds are almost always open, and they reward a slow walk: shaded alleys, ponds, statues, flowerbeds and old trees. There is a particular pleasure in the sound of water and birdsong, a quiet that is unusual so close to the busy road between Valletta and Mdina.
Take your time with the façade. From different parts of the garden, the proportions of the palace change, and corners and towers appear. Photographers tend to prefer the early morning, when the light is soft and the paths are empty.
Families use the gardens as a place to let children run, and many local residents come for a short walk after work. Dress is ordinary, but remember that the grounds belong to an official residence, so keep voices down and follow signs and the instructions of staff.
Around Attard
San Anton fits easily into a day in the central region. Nearby are Lija Belvedere Tower, the President’s Kitchen Garden and Villa Bologna, all within a short distance. Together they make a loop of gardens and historic houses that few visitors do in full.
If you have a car or are happy with a short bus or taxi ride, add Mdina and Rabat, which lie a few kilometres away. The combination of palace gardens and a walled city gives a very different feel from the coast resorts and suits a visitor who wants to see the inland side of the island.
Reading the palace
Look at how the building grew. A villa that begins as a modest summer house and is extended again and again rarely ends up symmetrical, and San Anton shows the habit of a patron who kept adding. The long front with its regular windows feels more like a governor’s residence than a hunting lodge, and that is exactly the use it later served.
Notice also the guards at the entrance. They are a reminder that the palace is still working: heads of state arrive here, and the grounds are shaped around that function. The garden paths, by contrast, belong to anyone who walks in.
Practical points
Check locally before making a special trip, because the gardens can close for official events and ceremonies. Wear comfortable shoes for gravel and paved paths. In July and August the heat is strong, and the shade of the garden is a real advantage, though bringing water is sensible.
Do not count on food inside the grounds; plan a coffee stop in Attard or nearby Balzan before or after. For a relaxed half-day, walk the gardens in the morning, have lunch in the village, and spend the afternoon at one of the neighbouring gardens or at Mdina as the light softens.
