Palazzo Castellania is looking mighty fine after she received some much-needed TLC recently. The Restoration Directorate supervised restoration works at the palazzo, restoring it to its former glory.
The palazzo, located in Merchants Street in the capital, has been given a new lease on life after having its exterior revamped, thanks to the patient hands involved in the project.
The incredible history
This palazzo is actually the former courthouse and prison in the capital that was built on the site of an earlier courthouse in the late 1500s. It has been named a number of things over the years including Palazzo del Tribunale, Palais de Justice and the Gran Corte della Valletta. By the mid-19th century, the building was deemed too small, so the courts were moved to the larger building at Auberge d’Auvergne, operating between 1840 and 1853.
In 1895 it became the head office of the Public Health Department, which was eventually succeeded by Malta’s healthy ministry, still housed within the palazzo to this day.
The breath-taking architecture
Palazzo Castellania boasts Baroque-style characteristics, designed by architect Francesco Zerafa and completed by Giuseppe Bonici. It also bears an ornate façade with an elaborate marble centrepiece. The spectacular interior features the former court halls, a chapel, prison cells, a statue of Lady Justice by the main staircase and an ornate fountain in the courtyard.
Nowadays
The palazzo has been a Grade 1 scheduled property since 1992 and is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. The palazzo still houses Malta’s Ministry of Health and is one gorgeous location to gaze at during your Valletta stroll.
Restoration Directorate / Facebook