Overlooking Pietà Creek and hidden in a sunken garden very close to the public library in Floriana, Msida Bastion Cemetery is the only surviving cemetery of four that were located near the Floriana bastions. The other three cemeteries – the Quarantine, Greek Orthodox and Cholera – are no longer in existence and the land has been built upon.

The cemetery is now known as the Msida Bastion Garden of Rest and Din l-Art Helwa is proud of the fact that the restoration of the cemetery to its former finery was acknowledged internationally by the award of a Silver Medal by Europa Nostra in 2002, the first such medal to be awarded to Malta.

This line of fortifications in Floriana, formerly known as St Philip’s Bastions, was commissioned by Grand Master Antoine de Paule in 1635 and designed and built by Italian engineer Pietro Paolo Floriani as additional protection to the Valletta land front. The bastions saw action briefly when Napoleon’s forces bombarded the walls in June 1798. The French, blockaded by the British and the Maltese, surrendered in September 1800.

There is evidence of burials at the Msida Bastion for members of the Protestant Comm-unity in Malta from as early as 1806. Records show that at least 528 people were buried here and it was more or less full when Ta’ Braxia Cemetery opened in 1886.

While those buried were predominantly English people who were associated with the armed forces and civil administration, others who were not of the Catholic faith were also buried here. The most famous Maltese believed to be buried here was Mikiel Anton Vassalli, known as the father of the Maltese language, who died in 1829.

By 1910, the Msida Bastion Cemetery had become neglected and its deterioration continued. During World War II it was hit by bombs and part of the bastion wall and some graves were damaged. As the cemetery was protected only by a low wall, much of it was vandalised and destroyed. Monuments were raided for the marble and stone carvings. Large trees and undergrowth, growing without restraint for decades, added considerably to the damage. In 1930, the Department of Museums, in an extensive survey of the cemetery, reported that the great majority of the inscriptions were damaged and indecipherable.

In 1983, Reginald G. Kirkpatrick, a council member of Din l-Art Helwa, was asked to research the cemetery and supervise its clearance. In 1988 the Ministry of Education declared that the site was to be restored and opened to the public as a garden. The surrounding wall was increased in height and a gate was built in an attempt to preserve what was left of the cemetery at that time. Mr Kirkpatrick sadly died soon after and work came to a halt.

In 1993, Dr Andy Welsh revived interest in the project and work proceeded steadily thereafter. Extensive work was painstakingly carried out in a joint effort between volunteers from Din l-Art Helwa, British residents and other groups, and workers from the Ministries of the Environment and Agriculture.

Restoration was generously sponsored by fund-raising activities organised by the British High Commission.

Sorting out and putting together the very large number of stone and marble fragments was slow and time-consuming. The first section restored was officially opened in September 1995 and work continued unabated thereafter. In 2004 a small Museum of Maltese Burial Practices was opened in the building adjacent to the garden.

A visit to the cemetery will confirm that the name “Garden of Rest” is not a misnomer, as visitors can enjoy the serenity of a peaceful ambiance in large green open spaces. Particularly interesting are the trees, both indigenous and exotic, some of which date from the heyday of the place, 150 or so years ago.

The garden is open to the public on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and the first Sunday of every month, from 9.30 till noon.

Din l-Art Helwa is trying to increase membership for more support. Be a guardian of Malta’s heritage by becoming a member. For more details send an email to [email protected] indicating your name and forwarding address, or visit the website www.dinlarthelwa.org

Victor Rizzo is the treasurer of Din l-Art Helwa.

Photos by Joseph Chetcuti and from the archives of

Din l-Art Helwa