Villa Bighi

Villa Bighi

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Dawret Fra Giovanni Bichi ,Kalkara,

				Villa Bighi is one of the most iconic buildings overlooking the Grand Harbour. It is surrounded by the imposing forts of Ricasoli, St Elmo and St Angelo. Villa Bighi was built in 1675 during the rule of the Knights of St John by Fra Giovanni Bichi on the designs of renowned Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà. Additions to the building in the early 19th Century have given it a neo-classical look. Originally planned to be a summer residence, it was transformed into Royal Naval Hospital Bighi by the British. The innovative design of the hospital, the work of Sir George Whitmore and Maltese masons Salvatore and Gaetano Xerri, focused on aspects such as sea air circulation and rounded edges on the walls for better hygiene. This rendered the complex unique for its standards of care in those days. As a matter of fact, Royal Naval Hospital Bighi only had a 4% mortality rate – a noteworthy feature for a hospital in the nineteenth century. In the 1970s, the Royal Navy left the building for the last time and Villa Bighi stopped serving as a hospital. It is now the head office for the Malta Council for Science and Technology. Villa Bighi hija waħda mill-iktar binjiet ikoniċi li tħares lejn il-Port il-Kbir. Hija mdawra mis-swar imponenti ta’ Ricasoli, Sant’Iermu u Sant’Anġlu. Villa Bighi nbniet fl-1675 fi żmien il-ħakma tal-Kavallieri ta’ San Ġwann minn Fra Giovanni Bichi fuq disinni tal-perit rinomat Malti Lorenzo Gafà. Żidiet mal-bini fil-bidu tas-seklu 19 tawha dehra neo-klassika. Oriġinarjament ippjanata biex tkun residenza tas-sajf, ġiet trasformata fl-Isptar Navali Rjali Bighi mill-Ingliżi. Id-disinn innovattiv tal-isptar, ix-xogħol ta’ Sir George Whitmore u l-bennejja Maltin Salvatore u Gaetano Xerri, iffokaw fuq aspetti bħaċ-ċirkolazzjoni tal-arja tal-baħar u truf ittundjati fuq il-ħitan għal iġjene aħjar. Dan għamel il-kumpless uniku għall-kwalità ta' kura tiegħu f'dawk il-jiem. Fil-fatt, l-Isptar Navali Rjali Bighi kellu biss 4% rata ta' mortalità - karatteristika notevoli għal sptar fis-seklu dsatax. Fis-snin sebgħin, in-Navy Irjali telqet mill-bini għall-aħħar darba u Villa Bighi ma baqgħetx isservi bħala sptar. Issa huwa l-uffiċċju ewlieni tal-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija.