One World - Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of Valletta (109)

The Upper Barrakka was built on St Peter and St Paul's bastion by the Knight Grand Prior Flaminio Baldiani in 1651 for recreational purposes of the Italian knights.

It is accessed through a monumental archway with a pair of attached Tuscan pilasters on both sides of an arched doorway having a triangular pediment on top.

The main structure in the garden was a covered area built on a chevron plan following the east flank and the face of the bastion. Today only the four arched walls survive. The roof was removed at around 1775 as prevention since the covered area had been used by some knights who met there to conspire against the Grand Master.

Several monuments embellish the garden including that to Sir Winston Churchill, Sir Thomas Maitland and other dignitaries. One of the most remarkable sculptures is a replica of the small bronze statue entitled Les Gavroches depicting three street children from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables executed by the Maltese sculptor Antonio Sciortino. Other features include a circular pond, a number of paths and planting areas and a small refreshment kiosk with elaborate Neoclassical sculpture. The garden was embellished in 2004 by means of new paving, lights and garden furniture as well as restoration of masonry work.

A lower terrace in front of the main garden area served as the Saluting Battery up to 1973. Adjacent to the Saluting Battery was the Guard Room, demolished after the war, and the space is now used as an open air restaurant. This lower garden was restored back as a Saluting Battery in 2006 by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna from which it re-enacts the firing of the noon-day gun daily.

The Barraka Lift provided access to the old Customs House, 66 metres below the level of the garden between 1907 and 1973. A new one is being contemplated to service the Cruise Passenger Terminal.

Mepa scheduled the Upper Barrakka Gardens as a Grade 1 national monument as per Government Notice No. 276/08 in the Government Gazette dated March 28, 2008.