Victoria is a busy market town, and on a summer afternoon its narrow streets can feel hot and loud. Villa Rundle Gardens is the place residents and visitors go to switch off. Inside the gate, the temperature seems to drop a few degrees, and the sound of the fountain replaces the traffic.
Shade in the middle of town
The gardens hold a large variety of local and imported trees, and the canopy is the first thing you notice. In summer the shade is valuable, and the paths are laid out so there is rarely a stretch in full sun. Shoppers use the benches to rest, parents bring children to the aviary and older residents sit with newspapers. It is a garden used as much as admired.
How it came about
Villa Rundle was once part of a British government experimental farm, run to help Gozitan farmers improve livestock and produce. According to the local story, William Millard, a senior officer of the Gozitan civil service, asked Governor Sir Leslie Rundle for help and funds to build a garden in Victoria on part of the farm. With the governor’s backing, money was released and work began.
Rundle left the islands before the project was finished. Millard felt it fitting to name the gardens in his honour, and the name has stayed ever since.
Refurbishment
The gardens moved on from their first planting plan. In 2009 they closed for refurbishment and reopened in 2012 after an extensive rehabilitation, partly financed through EU funds. The essence was kept: the main pathways meander as they did before. They were joined by new paths so that walkers feel more engaged with the flowers and trees.
The result is a modern public garden with a historic outline, which is a good description of much of Gozo.
The planting and features
The garden is divided into parts according to the seasons, designed to suggest the cool of winter through to the warmth of summer, using carefully selected plants. A herb garden adds colour and scent, and a rolling planting scheme keeps the beds varied through the year. In the centre a fountain offers a calm focus, and benches around it fill quickly on hot afternoons.
Several features make it family friendly. An aviary with colourful birds is popular with children, and there are sitting areas for those watching over them. At the farther end of the garden is a mini amphitheatre with purpose-built underground changing rooms, designed as a stage for intimate concerts and performances.
A garden used by the town
Villages and towns in Malta and Gozo tend to live outdoors in the evenings, and Villa Rundle follows the pattern. As the heat drops, families arrive with prams, teenagers claim the benches near the fountain and older residents settle for conversation. It is worth sitting for a while rather than walking through, because the rhythm of the place only shows after a quarter of an hour. Visitors who spend all day in the Cittadella often say that this garden is where they felt closest to ordinary life in Victoria.
Practical points
Summer and winter hours differ, with an earlier opening and later closing in the warm months. Check the posted times, particularly in winter when the gate closes in the late afternoon. There is no admission fee listed, but conditions can change.
Bring water in summer, although shops and cafes are close by in Victoria. Paths are generally level, which suits pushchairs and walkers with limited mobility, though some areas have steps. Evenings in spring and autumn are especially pleasant.
Combining the visit
The Cittadella is a short walk uphill from the gardens, and the cathedral and the Gozo museums inside the walls are all within easy reach. A common plan is to spend the morning in the citadel and then descend to the gardens for a rest before lunch. Victoria’s market streets, with fruit, cheese and bakeries, are at the garden’s edge.
For visitors with children, the aviary and fountain make it a useful break between museums. For couples or solo travellers, an hour with a book here is a good counterweight to the climb to the citadel.
Go after lunch, when the shade is most welcome, and then walk up to the Cittadella for the late-afternoon light.
