Tombstones lean against old bastion walls, and two black cannon point out over the water. The Msida Bastion Historic Garden is a quiet corner of Floriana where a 19th-century cemetery has been turned into a public garden, and where the stories of British Malta can be read in stone.
A survivor among four
The cemetery on the Floriana bastion is the last of four cemeteries adjoining the Floriana fortifications to survive. Something is known of about 530 people buried here, and the earliest burial dates to 1806. The garden provides splendid views along the bastions and across to Manoel Island.
The Floriana bastions were built in the 17th century and saw brief action when Napoleon arrived in 1798. After the French surrender in 1800, Protestant burials began in the area. The setting says something about the island’s history: a Catholic fortress used by a Catholic Order, then a British colony with a Protestant community that needed somewhere to bury its dead.
Who lies here
Most of the tombs belong to British military personnel, civil servants, merchants and their families, and some of their descendants are still in Malta. Many tombs and inscriptions are incomplete, but most of the large ones remain in their original location. To help access, several headstones have been placed along the surrounding walls.
Reading the inscriptions is the main activity. They record ages, regiments, ships and places of birth, and give a glimpse of the people who served or traded here. Look for the formal wording of the period and the symbols carved on the stones.
Why burials ceased
The cemetery was rarely used after 1856, when the nearby Ta’ Braxia cemetery opened, and not at all after 1887. Ta’ Braxia was commissioned during the Crimean War because the existing burial grounds for non-Catholics, in particular Msida Bastion, had reached full capacity. The two sites form a pair, and visiting both gives a fuller picture of how the British community dealt with burial.
Damage and restoration
The cemetery was bombed during the Second World War. That damage, together with two hundred years of erosion of the soft stone, theft and vandalism, left the site derelict. In 1988 the Government of Malta decided to restore the tombs where possible and open the gardens to the public. Restoration began in 1993 and is now largely complete.
Limestone in Malta is soft and weathers quickly, so the difference between restored and unrestored stones is easy to see. Some inscriptions have faded almost to nothing, while others are crisp.
The cannon
To the right of the entrance stand a pair of George III cannon, each weighing four tons. They are a reminder of the bastions’ original purpose, which was defence rather than burial. Standing beside them and looking out toward Manoel Island and the harbour makes it clear why this place was chosen for a fort in the first place.
Planning the visit
The garden is small, so most visitors need less than an hour. The opening times are limited to a few mornings a week, and they can change, so check locally before you set off. The paths are uneven in places because of the old stones, and there is little shade, so wear sturdy shoes and bring water in warm months.
Treat the place with the respect due to a cemetery. Do not climb on tombs or move stones, and keep to the paths.
What to look for on the stones
Take a moment at the larger monuments, which often carry the most information. Urns, broken columns and weeping figures were common funerary symbols in the 19th century, and many appear here. Some stones mention a ship or a regiment, which is a clue to how the person came to Malta. Because the soft limestone erodes, a quick look from the side, with the light across the surface, often reveals lettering that cannot be read head-on.
Photographers do well in low sun, when the shadows pick out carved detail. The bastion walls behind the tombs also give a plain backdrop that suits black-and-white pictures.
Combining it with Floriana
Floriana is a good place to walk. The bastions, the Granaries and Sarria Church are all nearby, and Sa Maison Garden is a short walk away. Ta’ Braxia Cemetery can be reached in a short bus ride or a longer walk, and makes a logical second stop. Valletta is only a few minutes beyond the Floriana gate, so the garden fits easily into a day that starts or ends in the capital.
A sensible morning begins at the garden, because that is when it is open, and continues into Floriana’s gardens or into Valletta for lunch.
