Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1389773
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 JULY 2021 5 CULTURE A balmy summer evening at beautiful Villa Frère THOSE seeking a balmy sum- mer evening spent far from the madding crowd will surely make the most of the special opening of Villa Frère on Sunday 4th July, between 5.00pm and 8.30pm. This is an initiative of the NGO Friends of Villa Frère, in collaboration with Heritage Malta. The NGO has worked hard to protect what remains of the villa and to restore the gardens to their former glory. Built in the 18th century, Villa Frère became the resi- dence of British diplomat, po- et, scholar and philanthropist John Hookham Frère. After his wife's demise in 1831, he built extensive terraced gardens at the rear of the property, from where he enjoyed wide open views spanning from Mdina to Valletta. He could also look out at the Msida Bastion Cemetery, where his wife reposed. Villa Frère became a sanctu- ary for numerous academics, most famously Mikiel Anton Vassalli who reportedly dis- cussed with Frère how to es- tablish Maltese as a written and taught language. This romantic story and Vil- la Frère's garden faded away with Frère's death in 1846. The site fell into neglect until for- ty years later, when the villa became the residence of Cap- tain Edward Price. A notable garden enthusiast, he gave life back to the property, earning it the title of a botanic garden. The place became a prominent attraction, both to locals and foreigners. Today, just over a third of the original area survives, yet the mystique is still there. Those who wish to experience it may do so next Sunday, against a donation of €5. Children will be admitted free of charge. All proceeds will go towards the continuous resto- ration of the gardens. Entrance is through St Luke's Hospital, Pietà. 'Masterpieces at MUŻA' may now be experienced through Virtual Reality THE 'Masterpieces at MUŻA' exhibition may now be experi- enced through Virtual Reality (VR) on the website muza.mt, ensuring an intimate and en- hanced encounter with the 13 Old Master paintings currently on display at MUŻA, the Na- tional Community Art Museum in Valletta. The website provides access to a virtual tour of the exhibi- tion that may be viewed on a mobile phone, tablet or laptop here: https://muza.mt/360- tour/ However, owners of a VR headset can enjoy the tour even more thanks to this gadget of modern technology. The virtual tour, produced entirely by Heritage Malta's Digitisation Unit, enables the 13 masterpieces to be enjoyed free of charge in the comfort of one's home or office. The VR experience, in particular, is es- pecially alluring to the younger generation, introducing them to Renaissance art in an enter- taining way. 'Masterpieces at MUŻA' runs until the end of October, when its 13 paintings will be integrat- ed in the MUŻA display for five years and possibly for another five after that. The paintings have been loaned to MUŻA on a long-term basis and range from the late 15th to the mid- 18th century.