Lija Belvedere Tower
| Lija Belvedere Tower | |
|---|---|
 View of the Lija Belvedere Tower | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Folly |
| Architectural style | Neoclassic |
| Location | Lija, Malta |
| Named for | Lija |
| Completed | 1857 |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Giuseppe Bonavia |
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.
History
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
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Villa Gourgion and the Lija Belvedere". user.orbit.net.mt. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ a b "MEPA to safeguard vistas to Lija Belvedere Tower". MEPA. 19 July 2008. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ 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
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