A recent post on the Facebook group Id-dar Maltija has sparked a lengthy discussion relating to the abysmal state that certain old buildings are left in. It is also where Natasha Camilleri posted striking shots of a palazzo in Bormla, one she lived in for 11 years as a child.

The exterior of the palazzo boasts stunning details, the main attraction being a sculpture of Pegasus and Medusa right beneath the balcony. The private property was abandoned and has been left in an utterly dilapidated state, and while some Bormla locals claim they heard it will be restored, works have been put off due to issues between the devisees of the property. Natasha actually remembers her family paying rent, but they didn’t pay the owner directly.

Natasha delved further into the incredible palazzo and her time spent there. She remembers a small yard with high walls and lots of stairs. She says that although the palazzo was about five storeys high, it only contained around seven or eight rooms, including a hall.

Natasha also claims that the place was haunted. “We never saw anything, but one could certainly feel a presence as the house was always very cold even during the summer heat. Things used to go missing and found in strange places, and we could hear steps in the middle of the night. Doors would open and close without anyone touching them. There was an old couple who lived beneath us, and the woman would tell my mum that she used to hear kids screaming at 4am, which obviously wasn't me or my brothers!”

Unfortunately, the ceiling caved in after some time, which resulted in the destruction of around 100 stairs. The noise rattled through the streets of Bormla so loudly that people in the surrounding areas thought a bomb exploded! 

One would only hope that such a gorgeous palazzo would be restored to its former glory eventually, as it really is deserving of nothing less.