The Lija Belvedere Tower, officially Torri Belvedere, is a belvedere in Lija, Malta. It was built in the 19th century as a folly within a private garden, and it is now located on a roundabout.

Lija Belvedere Tower
View of the Lija Belvedere Tower
Map
General information
StatusIntact
TypeFolly
Architectural styleNeoclassic
LocationLija, Malta
Named forLija
Completed1857
OwnerGovernment of Malta
Technical details
MaterialLimestone
Design and construction
Architect(s)Giuseppe Bonavia

History edit

 
Villa Gourigon

The belvedere tower was built in 1857 as a folly within the gardens of Villa Gourigon, a 17th-century villa which belonged to the Marquis Depiro.[1] It was designed by the architect Giuseppe Bonavia.[2]

In the 1950s, part of the villa's garden was destroyed to make way for Transfiguration Avenue. The belvedere was retained as a roundabout, and it is now one of Lija's landmarks.[3]

The tower was restored in 1995 and 1996, and it is listed as a Grade 1 property by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.[3][4] It is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands as part of Villa Gourgion.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Villa Gourgion" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Villa Gourgion and the Lija Belvedere". user.orbit.net.mt. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  3. ^ a b "MEPA to safeguard vistas to Lija Belvedere Tower". MEPA. 19 July 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  4. ^ Baldacchino, Godfrey, ed. (2012). Extreme Heritage Management: The Practices and Policies of Densely Populated Islands. Berghahn Books. p. 61. ISBN 9780857452603.

35°54′7.1″N 14°26′55.4″E / 35.901972°N 14.448722°E / 35.901972; 14.448722