Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1284320
12 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 2 SEPTEMBER 2020 COMMERCIAL e Grade 1 scheduled building of Villa Barbaro in Tarxien, one of Malta's oldest standing country houses, is being given further protection. is is a result of the Planning Authority, in collaboration with the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, extending the buff- er zone to include a stretch of properties along Triq iż-Żejtun but opposite the Villa. Martin Saliba, Chairperson of the PA's Executive Council, said "although in 2009, Villa Barbaro, together with its gardens, stables, private alley, boundary wall and a buffer zone were given protection status, we feel that the buffer zone needs to be extended further to safeguard this unique property from any potential visual impact that may result from future development along Triq iż-Żejtun." Saliba said that each scheduled proper- ty is located within a spatial context with which it relates to in different aspects. "e setting is, therefore, an essential part of the property and how it is experi- enced. e extended buffer zone seeks to safeguard the Villa's spatial context," he said. Villa Barbaro and its extensive gardens were built in the 16th century by the Bar- baro family. Conspicuous by its traditional red-washed facade, the villa has a simple but uncommon convex protruding main doorway, crowned by the coat-of-arms of the Barbaro family. e facade at first floor is mainly charac- terised by a large traditional closed timber balcony with uncommon characteristics. e lower panelled area of the balcony consists mainly of glass panes while the design of the 'gwarnicun' has a decorative extension that almost covers the 'kwartelli'. Another uncommon characteristic of this villa is the two-storey high pavilion that occupies most of the terrace at first- floor level. e property has considerable stylistic similarities with other country houses in Malta that also have significant archi- tectural and historical importance, such as the Inquisitor's Palace in Girgenti and Palazzo Gomerino in Rabat. During World War II, the Maltese Home Guards utilised the grounds of the villa as the training grounds of the local Auxiliary soldiers. e villa was originally scheduled by the Planning Authority back in 1996 for its historical, architectural and aesthetic value. In 2009, the scheduled area was en- larged to include the gardens and a buffer zone. PA extends buffer zone to protect the spatial context of Villa Barbaro in Tarxien