Villa Bologna

Villa Bologna
View of Villa Bologna
Alternative names	Isbelma
General information
Type	Stately home & Country Villa
Architectural style	Baroque
Location	Attard, Malta
Coordinates	35°53′39.8″N 14°26′40.1″E / 35.894389°N 14.444472°E / 35.894389; 14.444472Coordinates: 35°53′39.8″N 14°26′40.1″E / 35.894389°N 14.444472°E / 35.894389; 14.444472
Current tenants	de Trafford family
Construction started	1745
Completed	Unknown
Renovated	Ongoing
Client	Fabrizio Grech
Owner	Jasper de Trafford
Technical details
Material	Limestone
Grounds	7.3 acres
Design and construction
Architect	Unknown
Designations	Grade I Scheduled National Monument
Renovating team
Renovating firm	Architecture Project
Awards and prizes	Prix d’Honneur in Category C of the Din l-Art Ħelwa award for Architectural Heritage 2013
Website
www.villabologna.com

Villa Bologna is a Maltese stately home, in the village of Attard in the central district of Malta. Built in opulent Baroque style, Villa Bologna has been called "the most beautiful 18th century country house to be built for a Maltese family" and "of similar grandeur to the finest palaces on the island".

Villa Bologna is as interesting for its history as it is remarkable for the beauty of its architecture and gardens, which, together with the neighbouring San Anton Gardens, are the largest historic gardens in Malta. Once the seat of the Counts della Catena, Villa Bologna is now held by the great-grandson of the 6th count Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland.

Built during the rule of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, expanded during the British colonial period and currently undergoing revival, Villa Bologna is a comprehensive record of the architectural, artistic, cultural, social and political history of Malta in the two and a half centuries since it was built. Villa Bologna is a Grade 1 Scheduled National Monument and has been so since 2008.

Villa Bologna was constructed, by Fabrizio Grech, in 1745 as a gift for his daughter Maria Teresa Grech on her marriage to Nicholas Perdicomati Bologna, later the 2nd Count della Catena. Fabrizio Grech was both sindaco of the Maltese Università and uditore, or advisor, to Grand Master Pinto. By virtue of these offices, especially of the latter one, Grech became an immensely wealthy and influential man. A story, much repeated but never substantiated, has it that he was provoked into building a residence of surpassing beauty and magnificence for his daughter by aspersions cast by his new in-laws on his social standing. This is unlikely. In the first place, the Perdicomati Bolognas were no family of ancient title; the first count was ennobled barely three months before his son married Maria Teresa Grech. Secondly, a man like Grech, whose influence over the Grand Master was such that the Grand Master had full trust in him, who was known for his overbearing manner and who commanded resources sufficient to build a mansion on the scale of Villa Bologna, was hardly likely to feel inferior to a count minted barely three months before the marriage alliance between their families. There is also some evidence to indicate that Grech and his daughter’s father-in-law were very close associates indeed. Whatever the case may be, Nicholas Perdicomati Bologna and Maria Teresa Grech were married on 25 April 1745 and they were given this "fabulous villa" as a wedding present. Nicholas was succeeded by his daughter Maria Giovanna Perdicomati Bologna (the 3rd Countess) and, later, by his youngest daughter Angela Perdicomati Bologna (the 4th Countess). Angela married Baron Sciberras and the title, together with entail and the Villa passed on to their son Nicholas Sciberras Bologna in 1798. After the death without issue of Nicholas Sciberras Bologna, 5th Count della Catena, in 1875, a protracted litigation between the putative heirs of the 5th Count was resolved in 1882 when the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council awarded the title and lands, including Villa Bologna to Gerald Strickland, the great-grandson of Angela Perdicomati Bologna and her husband Baron Sciberras.