San Anton Palace
San Anton Palace (Palazz ta 'Sant'Anton) is a palace in Attard , Malta . It is the residence of the President of the Republic of Malta. The palace is surrounded by private and public gardens.
history
The palace was built between 1623 and 1636, during the reign of the Order of St. John , as a summer residence for Grand Master Antoine de Paule . De Paule was accused of a dissolute lifestyle by his critics, but Pope Urban VIII praised his piety and circumspection. Even before his election as Grand Master, he bought a large piece of land near the village of Attard, on which he had a villa built. This place was closer to Valletta than Verdala Palace , so it was easier to get to.
The villa was designed with generous proportions to accommodate a range of guests and housekeeping staff. The house staff included the cooks, kitchen boys, tasterers, torchbearers, wig makers, the clock winder, doctors and bakers who mainly had to bake black bread for the hounds. After his election as Grand Master, De Paule decided not to build a trireme in favor of expanding his villa into a palace, which he named after his patron saint, St. Anthony of Padua called.
A noticeable feature of the extension is the tower, which offers great views of the surrounding landscape. The rectangular shape was softened by a cornice, a parapet with a railing and figurative gargoyles at each corner. The two upper floors were damaged by a lightning strike and demolished. Subsequent grandmasters continue to use the palace. On September 12, 1776, on the first anniversary of his election, Grand Master de Rohan gave up the usual ceremony of the kiss on the hand and instead gave a large celebration at which the guests were entertained with a jousting and the performance of French comedians.
In the palace there is a private chapel that goes back to de Paule. It is dedicated to Our Lady on the Pillar . The chapel is decorated with the coats of arms of the Grand Masters Antonio Manoel de Vilhena , Manuel Pinto de Fonseca and Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc .
During the turbulent days of the Maltese uprising against the French, the palace became the seat of the National Assembly from February 1799 until the surrender of the French occupation of Valletta in September 1800. Captain Alexander Ball lived there, first as President of the National Congress, later as civil commissioner. During this time he built the loggias around the drawing room and an impressive circular path around the outer courtyard. Samuel Taylor Coleridge , Sir Alexander's private secretary, was so impressed by the palace that he wrote: “When I am in the country, nine days out of ten, I live in the palace of San Anton. If living in airy, beautiful rooms is a pleasure, then I have it ”.
During the British rule of Malta, the palace was the official residence of the governor, while the Verdala Palace , located in Buskett Gardens in Rabat , served as the governor's summer residence.
The gardens of San Anton, open to the public since 1882, were designed in the Baroque style. There is also an orangery in the gardens , the fruits of which were once given by the grandmasters as Christmas presents. Cultural events such as the state horticultural show take place regularly in the gardens.
Coordinates: 35 ° 53 ′ 47 " N , 14 ° 26 ′ 49" E