Argotti Botanic Gardens and Resources Centre

Floriana, Malta

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The Argotti Botanic Gardens and Resources Centre in Floriana, Malta, has a rich history dating back to the 17th century when the Knights of St. John first established a medicinal garden at Fort St. Elmo in Valletta around 1674.

This collection of medicinal and botanical plants was later moved to Floriana under the guidance of Carmelite monk and botany professor Carolus Hyacinthus. The Argotti Gardens originally comprised two private gardens owned by Knight Don Emanuel Pinto de Fonseca and Bailiff Ignatius de Argote y Guzman, which were merged in the early 18th century, giving the gardens their name.

Officially recognized as a botanical garden in 1890, it is the third oldest in the Commonwealth after Oxford and Edinburgh. The gardens became known internationally for their extensive collections of succulents, cacti, and Mediterranean plants, enriched by contributions from eminent Maltese botanists such as Count Alfred Caruana Gatto and Professor John Borg. Architecturally, the gardens feature Baroque elements including a nymphaeum and the Summer Villa, remnants of the early 18th century.