Visitors throng to Villa Francia

Sarah Camilleri

Sep 15th 2009, 13:46

This shows how interested the public is in historic buildings - What a shame that so many similar buildings have been demolished over the past years

I suggest that more work of this kind should take place - but also, that these buildings should be open to the public and to tourists throughout the year, rather than being restricted to formal events. Too many beautiful government-owned buildings are inaccessible to visitors.

A. Mizzi

Sep 14th 2009, 21:26

The Malta Picture is just becoming two faced like the Portrait of Dorian Gray all smiles on the front , covering corruption, scandals and degeneration which will appear once the paint and smiles start to crack and the true colours start to surface again.

And if Villa Francia is a gem, what were the National assets that were sold off considered as? Some of these gems where even sold with incorporated works of art, which were lost to the country forever .

P.Camilleri

Sep 14th 2009, 18:13

Is-sabih sabih jibqa, u sabih tiffanfra minn fuq dahar il-poplu. Sabih biss meta jsir minghajr serq u fottimenti apparti korruzzjoni. Imbilli mmorru nifirhu bl-affarijiet ta' haddiehor t-toroq imkissra ha jibqghu. Inhallsu t-taxxi biex jitpaxxa l-poplu u mhux xi ras kbira.

smifsud

Sep 14th 2009, 17:11

Labour and Management go hand in hand one cannot survive without the other ....this place should represent all the people of malta no matter what you do ...street cleaners garbage collectors etc etc ding the "dirty jobs"...just imagine without these workers who would do it ...its a shame we treat some workers with disrespect ....and others we put on a pedestal .....

R. Galea

Sep 14th 2009, 15:33

@ Peter Korsten

So what if there was too much PN material about. If you read the history you would have realised that the villa was the residence of Sir Ugo Mifsud who was Prime Minister of Malta between September 1924 and August 1927 and between June 1932 and November 1933. Sir Ugo became co-leader with Dr. Mizzi of the newly formed Partito Nazionalista (PN), so I guess there would have been some info about that.

Had it been filled with Labour material perhaps it would have been more to your liking???

J Farrugia

Sep 14th 2009, 14:41

Sour grapes to all these negative remarks. Cant' you see a beautiful gem when you see one? And prosit to all the workers who were involved in the restoration of this wonderful property.

Sammy Ellul

Sep 14th 2009, 13:12

Is-santwarju tal-Klieb u qtates fejn u meta ser nifthuh?

Peter Korsten

Sep 14th 2009, 08:50

Given that the chance of me becoming a foreign dignitary are rather slim, I was happy to be able to see this yesterday (and managed to park close by, which is a small miracle in Lija even on regular days). A job very well done. Perhaps a little bit too much PN material about, but then again it was too hot in that particular room to stay for long.

J.Camilleri

Sep 14th 2009, 01:32

Il-poplu mhux xenxilli jrid. Ahjar irranga t-toroq. Inutli l-poplu joqghod jixxennaq ghax wara kollox li sar mhux ghall Maltin izda ghall barrani bhas-soltu.

Anthony Mizzi

Sep 13th 2009, 17:01

What next?

Prime Ministerial Guided tours at the VAT department or maybe around The Delimara Power Station, the ADT or maybe even the Enemalta Gas Division where Liquified Petroleum Gasis bottled at double the pre-electoral price...

Joe Cassar

Sep 13th 2009, 14:30

"The villa was inaugurated by the Prime Minister yesterday at the end of a three-year project, and Dr Gonzi was back there this morning to greet visitors."

Since when does a prime-minister get personally involved to this extent in the restoration of a minor historical building?

Dr Gonzi must be really desperate for some positive publicity.

Joe Xuereb

Sep 13th 2009, 13:23

@ Claire Farrugia. Well said.
@ A. Zahra. Dual thinking, either or, black or white is manipulative and serves no purpose. Visiting dignitaries are not likely to sleep in the gutter are they now if this gem were to be 'given' to the people. Stately homes everywhere are open to the public, for a fee. This generates money for cash-strapped Malta. I like to think that the general population and visiting school-children will benefit greatly from getting to known their patrimony. And that is a long-term investment, I think you will agree. Again, thanks to Claire Farrugia for thinking right. She does not need me but I thought I would give a helping hand. Because Claire's worth it. Villa Francia is worth it. And the Maltese population are certainly worth it. I am not so sure about visiting dignitaries, dignified or not. I rest my case.

A.Zahra

Sep 13th 2009, 10:37

@ Claire Farrugia
"imma kif kollox għall barranin naghmlu, vera niskanta???" This property was left to the Government to be used as the Prime minister's Official Residence similar to 10 Dowding street in London or Villa Graziosi in Rome. Instead our Prime minister decided to use it to host VIPs such as foreign heads of state, prime ministers or ministers on official visits to Malta. Must you criticise even this? What would you have said had the Primeminister fulfilled the testor's wish and kept it for himself as his official residence?

Julian Zarb - Tourism Journalist

Sep 13th 2009, 10:17

The idea of these stately homes being used for foreign delegations is plausible, it is far better than such an architectural gem falling into a state of disrepair! We need to introduce the idea, on the other hand, of these houses (and there are other examples locally) hosting visitors to live in for some time - a kind of living history, if you like!! What an experience that would be!

claire farrugia

Sep 13th 2009, 10:05

I think they should open it regularly for viewing for the public, one pays a SMALL fee to see it.
"used to host foreign delegations"...imma kif kollox għall barranin naghmlu, vera niskanta???