Belvedere Tower: A Neoclassical Folly in Lija

The Lija Belvedere Tower, known locally as Torri Belvedere, is an iconic landmark in the village of Lija, Malta. Constructed in 1857 by architect Giuseppe Bonavia, the tower was originally a folly within the private gardens of the 17th-century Villa Gourgion, owned by the Marquis Depiro. The tower served as a symbol of wealth and power, visible from the surrounding areas.In the 1950s, the gardens were partially destroyed to make way for Transfiguration Avenue, but the belvedere was preserved and integrated into a roundabout, solidifying its status as a local landmark. The tower has undergone restoration, including a project completed between 1995 and 1996, and more recently in 2021. It is a Grade 1 listed property by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and is part of the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.The tower's architecture showcases a neoclassical style, built with globigerina limestone. It has a circular plan and consists of four levels. The ground floor features a central core used as a store, with a staircase wrapping around it. The first level has a colonnaded porch with decorative ionic capitals, and a spiral staircase leads to the third level with a terrace. The fourth level has a narrow terrace with a wrought iron railing and a semi-circular dome. The villa and gardens were also the site of meetings to discuss the first conception of the Maltese Constitution in 1921.