BOTANICAL GARDENS OF ARGOTTI

They date from the 17th century and formed the private garden of the great master Pinto de Fonseca. They did not become botanical until a century later. You can see a wide variety of local and imported plants, from oak to laurel and cacti. You wander among giant cacti, ponds and cats. You will find a small cave decorated with corals, shells, pebbles and mosaics, once part of the Villa d'Argote. The belvedere dates from 1741. In the villa d'Argote, a small horticultural museum is set up. You go down the ramp, through the tunnel, over the barrier and down the steps again to reach the Jardin Saint-Philippe. This garden is planted with Mediterranean varieties such as the lemon tree, the cypress, but also with jacarandas, an American tree whose flowers are blue-purple. The garden extends over several levels, connected by stairs. Below, you can see the Bomb Gate surrounded by the four-lane roads that connect the city and Valletta with the rest of the country. It was erected during the extension of the fortifications in 1721 by the great master Perellos, whose coat of arms appears at the top. Back at the entrance to the gardens, you will find in front of you the small Sarria Chapel dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. It houses works by Mattia Preti. Opposite it stands the Methodist church, in neo-Gothic style, completed in 1833, which today hosts cultural events.