Auberge de Castille

This article is about the auberge in Valletta which houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. For the auberge in Birgu, see Auberge de Castille et Portugal.
Auberge de Castille
Berġa ta' Kastilja

Auberge de Castille undergoing restoration
General information
Status Intact
Type Auberge
Architectural style Baroque
Location Valletta, Malta
Coordinates 35°53′45″N 14°30′41″E / 35.89583°N 14.51139°E / 35.89583; 14.51139
Current tenants Office of the Prime Minister of Malta
Construction started 1571
Completed 1574
Renovated 1741–1745
Owner Government of Malta
Technical details
Material Limestone
Floor count 3
Design and construction
Architect Girolamo Cassar
Renovating team
Architect Andrea Belli

Auberge de Castille (Maltese: Berġa ta' Kastilja) is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was originally built in the 1570s to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Castile, León and Portugal. The present building dates back to the 1740s, when it was completely rebuilt during the magistracy of Manuel Pinto da Fonseca. The new auberge was built in the High Baroque style, and it has been called "probably the finest building in Malta".[1] It now houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta.

The auberge is located in Castille Square, close to Saint James Cavalier, the Malta Stock Exchange and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. It is situated at the highest point of Valletta and overlooks Floriana and the Grand Harbour area.

The name Castille (or Kastilja in Maltese) is often used as a metonym to refer to the Prime Minister and his office, in a similar sense to how the White House is used to refer to the Executive Office of the President of the United States.

History

Auberge de Castille was originally built between 1571 and 1574 to house the Langue of Castile, León and Portugal, one of the most powerful langues of the Order. The building was designed by the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar, and it was regarded as the most innovative of his Auberge designs.

The Auberge was completely rebuilt from 1741 to 1745, during the grandmastership of Manuel Pinto da Fonseca to a Baroque design by another Maltese architect, Andrea Belli. The coats of arms of Castile and León and of Portugal, along with Pinto's personal coat of arms were sculpted on the facade of the building at this point. A bust of Pinto was also added.[2]

When the French occupation of Malta began, the knights were expelled from the Maltese islands. The Spanish knights moved out of Auberge de Castille with their movable property on 20 June 1798. Later that year, the Auberge was used as the Commission for National Property.

View of the Grand Harbour in World War I, with the signalling station on Auberge de Castille visible to the left.
Castile at night after restoration and redesign of square in 2015

The Auberge then became the headquarters for the British armed forces in Malta in 1805. In 1814, a disabled contingent from the army of Egypt was accommodated in the Auberge. A Protestant chapel was opened in one of the rooms of the first floor in 1840. In 1889 a signalling station with a large aerial was installed on the roof to communicate with warships of the Mediterranean Fleet moored in the Grand Harbour. The building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925 together with the other auberges in Valletta.[3] In World War II, the Auberge was bombed and sustained severe damage on the right side of the entrance. After the war, the damaged section was rebuilt and the aerial was removed.[4]

The Office of the Prime Minister was moved from Auberge d'Aragon to Auberge de Castille on 4 March 1972. In this building the Prime Minister leads the business of the government and every Tuesday he convenes his cabinet of ministers here.[2]

Over the years, some of the stonework began to crumble and the facades were blackened. Restoration of the Auberge started in 2009 and was completed in mid-2014.[5]

The auberge is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[6]

Commemorative coins

Auberge de Castille was depicted on two commemorative coins minted in 2008 by the Central Bank of Malta. The coins show the auberge's portico on the reverse and the coat of arms of Malta on the obverse.[7]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Auberge de Castille.
  1. ↑ Ellul, Michael (1982). "Art and architecture in early nineteenth century Malta" (PDF). Proceedings of History Week: 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Auberge de Castille". Office of the Prime Minister. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008.
  3. ↑ "Protection of Antiquities Regulations 21st November, 1932 Government Notice 402 of 1932, as Amended by Government Notices 127 of 1935 and 338 of 1939.". Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "History of Auberge de Castille". Cultural Malta. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Last scaffolding comes down as five-year Castille restoration is completed". Times of Malta. 13 July 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Auberge de Castille et Leon" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 28 December 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Europa Programme 2008 with the theme of 'Cultural Heritage' – Auberge de Castille". Central Bank of Malta. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
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