Villa Bonici
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| Villa Bonici | |
|---|---|
 Villa Bonici in a dilapidated state; above balcony figure representing Emanuel Testaferrata Bonici Ghaxaq | |
 Interactive map of the Villa Bonici area | |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Villa |
| Architectural style | Baroque[1] |
| Location | Sliema, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°54′34.6″N 14°29′58.3″E / 35.909611°N 14.499528°E |
| Current tenants | Alfred Gera de Petri[2] |
| Named for | Bonici family |
| Completed | 1872 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
Villa Bonici is a baroque 19th century villa in Sliema, Malta. It was built by Marquis Emanuel Testaferrata Bonici Ghaxaq (Asciak) as a country residence.[3]
Villa Bonici is a large building that was built in the 19th century, some time before 1872, as a countryside house by aristocrat Marquis Baron Emanuele Testaferrata Bonici Ghaxaq (Asciak).[3][4] The villa has passed to his next generations of his family: first to Lino Testaferrata Bonici, then to Agnes Gera de Petri, and then to Alfred Gera de Petri.[2] Apart from the building of the villa the property has a separate farmhouse and the terraced gardens for what it is well known, making it unique in the overdeveloped areas of Gzira[5] and Sliema.[6] Originally the gardens were surrounded by a wall made of several arches. The garden used to extend to the seaside, but this side was developed with modern buildings.[7]
Modern
The villa had previously served as one of the few open air cinema theatres in Malta.[1][8] It also served as a school until 1969[9] and became an educational institute again as part of the St. Louis School.[8] Today Villa Bonici is in a dilapidated state.[8] It is surrounded by modern building development and had become an issue of development itself by its owners as being a high potential economic asset.[3][10]
Maltese heritage
The historic parts of Villa Bonici were scheduled as a Grade 2 by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) in 2010.[3]