Merhba l-Palazz tal-Kastellanija

Welcome to Castellania Palace!

Huwa tassew il-pjaċir tiegħi li nilqgħek hawn, f’numru 15 ta’ Triq il-Merkanti, jew aħjar, f’Palazzo Kastellanija, wieħed mill-isbaħ binjiet �il-belt kapitali tagħna. Għalkemm din il-binja jaf mhix waħda mill-aktar magħrufa �il-Belt Valletta, dan il-Palazz huwa tassew għani �il-wirt arkitettoniku u storiku li tagħmlu attrazzjoni ta’ min iżuru. Mibnija �l-1760, dan huwa l-bini fejn Mikiel Anton Vassalli qatta’ żmien maqful jistenna l-eżilju �l-ewwel snin tal-ħakma Ingliża. Dan huwa wkoll il-bini fejn Sir Temi Zammit għamel l-iskoperta kbira tal-Brucellosi – jew dik “tad-deni rqiq” kif kienet magħrufa. Fil-fatt għadha teżisti replika tal-laboratorju tiegħu. Sa mill-1895 il-Palazz tal-Kastellanija beda jilqa’ �ih l-uf�iċċji tad-Dipartiment tas-Saħħa Pubblika – irwol li baqa’ jżomm sal-ġurnata tal-lum.

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to welcome you here at 15, Merchants’ Street or better at Palazzo Castellania, one of the great buildings of our capital city. Although this building may not be one of the best known in Valletta, it does have plenty of architectural and historical highlights worth noting. Built in 1760, this is the building where Mikiel Anton Vassalli spent time incarcerated whilst awaiting his exile in the early years of the British Occupation. This is also the building where Sir Temi Zammit made his great discovery on Brucellosis – or Malta Fever as it was known. In fact a replica of his laboratory still exists here. Since 1895 Palazzo Castellania has uninterruptedly housed the head of�ice for the Public Health Department, a function that it still holds to this day.

Chris Fearne

Merhba l-Palazz tal-Kastellanija

Welcome to Castellania Palace!

Huwa tassew il-pjaċir tiegħi li nilqgħek hawn, f’numru 15 ta’ Triq il-Merkanti, jew aħjar, f’Palazzo Kastellanija, wieħed mill-isbaħ binjiet �il-belt kapitali tagħna. Għalkemm din il-binja jaf mhix waħda mill-aktar magħrufa �il-Belt Valletta, dan il-Palazz huwa tassew għani �il-wirt arkitettoniku u storiku li tagħmlu attrazzjoni ta’ min iżuru. Mibnija �l-1760, dan huwa l-bini fejn Mikiel Anton Vassalli qatta’ żmien maqful jistenna l-eżilju �l-ewwel snin tal-ħakma Ingliża. Dan huwa wkoll il-bini fejn Sir Temi Zammit għamel l-iskoperta kbira tal-Brucellosi – jew dik “tad-deni rqiq” kif kienet magħrufa. Fil-fatt għadha teżisti replika tal-laboratorju tiegħu. Sa mill-1895 il-Palazz tal-Kastellanija beda jilqa’ �ih l-uf�iċċji tad-Dipartiment tas-Saħħa Pubblika – irwol li baqa’ jżomm sal-ġurnata tal-lum.

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to welcome you here at 15, Merchants’ Street or better at Palazzo Castellania, one of the great buildings of our capital city. Although this building may not be one of the best known in Valletta, it does have plenty of architectural and historical highlights worth noting. Built in 1760, this is the building where Mikiel Anton Vassalli spent time incarcerated whilst awaiting his exile in the early years of the British Occupation. This is also the building where Sir Temi Zammit made his great discovery on Brucellosis – or Malta Fever as it was known. In fact a replica of his laboratory still exists here. Since 1895 Palazzo Castellania has uninterruptedly housed the head of�ice for the Public Health Department, a function that it still holds to this day.

Chris Fearne

Għalkemm din mhijiex waħda mill-binjiet l-aktar magħrufa �il-Belt Valletta, dan il-bini huwa tassew għani �il-wirt arkitettoniku u storiku li tagħmlu attrazzjoni ta’ min iżur.

Il-bini ta’ dan il-Palazz kien oriġinarjament ikkummissjonat mill-Gran Mastru Emmanuel Pinto (1741-1773) �l-1757. Il-Kastellanija nbniet biex taqdi l-funzjoni tat-Tribunal Ċivili u Kriminali tal-Ordni ta’ San Ġwann.

Ix-xogħlijiet ta’ kostruzzjoni bdew �l-1757, imsejsa fuq id-disinn tal-Perit magħruf ferm; Francesco Zerafa. Wara l-mewt qabel il-waqt tiegħu x-xogħlijiet tlestew taħt it-tmexxija għaqlija tal-Perit Giuseppe Bonnici, u l-bini tlesta �l-1760.

Although this isn’t one of the best-known buildings in Valletta, it does have plenty of architectural and historical highlights worth noting.

This Palace was originally commissioned by Grand Master Emmanuel Pinto (1741-73) in 1757. It was built to be the Civil and Criminal Tribunal of the Order.

Construction work started on this building in 1757, based on plans by well-known architect Francesco Zerafa. After his untimely death, the works were completed under the watchful eye of Giuseppe Bonnici, and completed in 1760.

F'dan l-istadju l-Kastellanija ħadet l-irwol tagħha bħala Qroti ta’ żmien l-Ordni. Minbarra l-uf�iċċji u s-Sala tal-Qorti, f’din il-binja hemm ukoll kappella u ċelel għall-priġunieri. F’dawn tal-aħħar hemm graf�iti storiċi li għadhom jistgħu jidhru sal-lum.

Il-Palazz tal-Kastellanija kompla saħansitra jaqdi l-funzjoni tiegħu ta’ Qorti għal xi snin matul il-ħakma Ingliża, sakemm dawn ġew imċaqalqa għall-Berġa d'Auvergene �l-1853. Wara perijodu qasir li matulu dan il-bini ntuża bħala skola sekondarja tal-bniet, il-Palazz tħalla abbandunata għal kważi nofs seklu .

Madankollu �l-1895 ġie magħżul sabiex jilqa’ �ih l-uf�iċċji tad-Dipartiment tas-Saħħa Pubblika - irwol li baqa’ jżomm sal-ġurnata tal-lum.

At that stage the building took on its role as the Law Courts of the era. Aside from of�ices and a court hall, it also housed a chapel and cells for prisoners. Here, historic graf�iti can still be seen today.

Castellania Palace maintained its function as the law courts during some years of the British, until they were moved to Auberge d’Auvergene in 1853. After a short stint as a girls’ secondary school, the Palazzo was left abandoned for nearly half a century.

In 1895, however, it was chosen to be the of�ices for the Public Health Department – a role it plays to this day.

Din il-funzjoni raddet lura lill-Kastellanija żminijiet ta’ prestiġju, fosthom dak li tilqa’ �ih il-ħidma tat-Tabib u Arkeologu, Sir Temistokle Zammit. Kien proprju f’dan il-bini li l-1905 Temi Zammit sab il-batterji tal-Melitensis bruċellożi kienet preżenti �il-ħalib tal-mogħoż frisk. Din l-iskoperta avangardista tad-deni irqiq għenet tagħmel dan il-prodott aktar sigur għall-konsum �is-snin ta’ wara.

Il-bosta aspetti arkitettoniċi tal-Kastellanija jenfasizzaw li dan il-Palazz hu punt fejn jiltaqgħu l-bosta ġnus li xifru fuq l-għatba tiegħu.

Eżempju ta’ dan se tkun tista’ tara fuq l-faċċata Barokka tagħha, l-Arma imqammra tal-Gran Mastru Pinto, �limkien ma’ �iguri �l-irħam li jirrappreżentaw il-Ġustizzja u l-Verità.

This function has led to some key acmes for the building, including as the base for where physician and archaeologist Sir Themistocles Zammit found that the bacteria Brucellosis melitensis was present in fresh goats’ milk in 1905. That discovery proved to be ground-breaking, and it helped to make this product safe for consumption for years to come.

As for the Palace’s architecture, its many highlights still prove to be talking points among the myriad people who come and go through its doors.

For instance, you will spot Grand Master Pinto’s coat of arms – a crescent – on the façade, as well as two detailed marble �igures representing Justice and Truth.

Ġawhra oħra hija l-funtana semiċirkolari kbira �il-bitħa, bil-vaska tal-ġebel tagħha �in-nofs issejjes ajkla qalbiena.

L-ambjent intern mhuwiex anqas spettakolari. Il-Palazz huwa mogħni bi stil Barokk eleganti, b’taraġ tal-irħam wiesa’ li jwasslek għal dik li qabel kienet is-Sala tal-Udjenzi tat-Tribunal. Fil-pjan sotterran se ssib l-kappella eleganti fejn il-priġunieri kienu xi darba jitkarrbu għall-ħelsien, kif ukoll iċ-ċelel fejn kienu stennew il-qari tad-destin tagħhom. Xi wħud miċ-ċelel ġew irrestawrati u huma miftuħa għall-pubbliku b’appuntament.

Min jixtieq iżur il-Palazz tal-Kastellanija jista’ jikkuntattja lill-Segretarjat Parlamentari għas-Saħħa biex isiru t-tħejjijiet meħtieġ.

Another key spectacle is the large semicircular fountain in the courtyard, with its stone basin supporting a proud eagle in the middle.

The interior is also spectacular. The Palace exudes an elegant Baroque style, with a wide �light of marbled stairs leading up to what used to be the audience hall of the tribunal stands. Below the ground �loor, you’ll �ind the elegant chapel where prisoners must once have pleaded for their freedom, as well as the cells where they waited to learn their fate. Some of those cells were recently restored and opened for public viewings on appointment.

Please contact our Reception Desk if you would like to arrange a tour.