Gwardamanġa Guardamangia | |
|---|---|
 Saint Luke's Hospital, in Gwardamanġa | |
 | |
| Coordinates:35°53′35″N14°29′37″E / 35.89306°N 14.49361°E /35.89306; 14.49361 | |
| Country |  Malta |
| Island | Malta |
| Suburb of |  Pietà |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | PTA |
| Dialing code | 356 |
Gwardamanġa (English:Guardamangia or sometimes incorrectly written asGwarda Mangia)[1] is a hamlet inPietà,Malta.[2] Gwardamanġa is the home ofSt. Luke's Hospital, Malta's former general public hospital, andVilla Guardamangia, the former home ofQueen Elizabeth II. It is also the location of theRediffusion House.
Villa Guardamangia, at Gwardamanġa, is a large two-storey building, best known for its elaborate porch which is reached by a flight of steps from each side. The first has a convex configuration over which is a wide elliptical arch. Scrollcorbels support the lintels of the sides, while a square-headed doorway is set in an elliptical arched recess. On top of the porch are a series of segmentally arched,louvred windows. Other features include semi-circularwrought-iron balconies on each side of the porch, louvred windows and a 'remissa' doorway. The façade lacks decoration, apart from abalustradedparapet wall.
The villa was leased byLord Louis Mountbatten around 1929. At various times between 1946 and 1953,Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the villa as both Princess and then Queen while her fiancé, and later husband,The Duke of Edinburgh was stationed in Malta as a servingRoyal Navy officer. Philip and Elizabeth lived in Malta for a period between 1949 and 1951, which made Malta the only foreign country in which the Queen ever resided. It has been speculated that her sonCharles was conceived here. The Queen re-visited the villa during her state visit to Malta in 1992.
A statue ofOur Lady of Fátima is carried in procession through the streets of Gwardamanġa, accompanied by fireworks, as part of theFesta ofOur Lady of Fátima, held annually in early June.[3]
