Santa Venera: Aqueduct, Tower and Garden

Santa Venera offers travellers looking for a hotel in the area several distinct points of interest: the Wignacourt Aqueduct and its control tower, the public Romeo Romano Garden with an old watermill and agricultural tools, and an education centre for the environment and sustainable development. This brings together the history of construction and water supply, gardens and environmental education as distinct themes.

Wignacourt Aqueduct and Control Tower

The Wignacourt Aqueduct runs through Santa Venera. The Wignacourt Aqueduct Tower, also known as Turretta ta’ San Ġużepp, was built in the early 17th century as part of the Wignacourt Aqueduct project. Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt commissioned the project for the period 1610–1614. It is worth distinguishing the dates when placing it in context: the tower’s construction is dated to the early 17th century; the years refer to the project period.

The tower served as a control point for the aqueduct system that supplied Valletta with fresh water. It also marks the point where the visible stone arches give way to underground channels towards Valletta. This makes it possible to distinguish two aspects: the tower’s function within the system and the transition from a visible stretch of arches to underground channels. The direction of the channels places this structural transition in the context of the water supply route to Valletta.

Romeo Romano Garden: Watermill and Agricultural Tools

Romeo Romano Garden is a public garden in Santa Venera. One of its distinctive historical features is a well-preserved old watermill. There is also a small exhibition of antique agricultural tools. The garden thus offers two distinct points of interest: the mill as a single old waterworks structure, and the tools as a link to agriculture.

The scale here differs from that of the aqueduct: there, the focus is on a water supply system, its control point and the transition from arches to channels; in the garden, visitors encounter the mill and the small tool exhibition. If you are organising the area’s history by technical and agricultural themes, these focal points are easy to distinguish. If you would like to see the exhibition, check whether it is available before your visit.

Environmental Education in Santa Venera

Another point of interest is Ir-Razzett tat-Tfal, an education centre for the environment and sustainable development run by Nature Trust Malta. It was inaugurated on 10 December 2025 and is open to EkoSkola students and others. If you are planning to take part, check the participation options in advance. This keeps the centre’s target groups and the practical arrangements for a visit clearly distinct.

The centre focuses on a different subject from the historic structures and objects: its focus is the environment and sustainable development. Together, these offer different connections to the area when choosing a hotel in Santa Venera—from the history of the water supply to Valletta, to gardens and agriculture, and environmental education. Which of these themes matters most to you depends on how you want to spend your time in the area.

Discover more destinations: Luqa, Munxar, Nadur, Gzira, Tarxien, Kercem, Xewkija, Marsaxlokk.

For the broader travel overview: Malta.