One World - Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of the Maltese islands (43)

Villa Gourgion Depiro, located on Triq il-Kbira, Lija is a two storey villa with abutting servants' quarters and stable house. It still has a relatively large garden on its rear which is actually the surviving part of the original extensive gardens and orange groves that stretched to the Lija roundabout.

The Lija Belvedere (which is scheduled as per GN. 360/96 dated 4/06/1996) used to be in the centre of the garden of Villa Gourgion and its entrance is directly in-line with the access to the garden from the villa. However, most of the garden was lost to development and roads, leaving the belvedere isolated in the middle of Transfiguration Avenue.

The entrance hall ceiling of the villa is frescoed and of particular note is the tromp l'oeil in the foyer which changes from a male into a female portrait depending on the direction one looks at it. It has a grand staircase leading to the first floor.

The villa was, on three occasions, the meeting place for the National Assembly whilst drafting the 1921 constitution.

Mepa scheduled Villa Gourgion, gardens and ancillary structures as a Grade 1 national monument as per Government Notice no. 612/08 in the Government Gazette dated July 16, 2008.