Verdala Palace
The Verdala Palace is a palace in the municipality of Siġġiewi (Maltese Is-Siġġiewi), Malta. It is an official residence of the President of the Republic of Malta .
history
At the site of the palace there used to be a small hunting lodge built by Grand Master Jean de la Valette-Parisot between 1557 and 1568. The hunt was established on the island after the island was transferred to the Order of St. John . The area now called Buskett Gardens (Italian: Boschetto) was chosen because of the lush vegetation that attracted foraging game. The stream in the valley called Wied il-Luq below the elevation , one of the few occurrences of surface water on the island, provided the area with irrigation for most of the year.
The current building was constructed by Grand Master Hugues Loubenx de Verdale in 1586. Verdale wanted a facility that was representative and comfortable on the one hand, and also offered a certain level of protection on the other. The architect Gerolamo Cassar , who built numerous structures on the island on behalf of the order, planned a small fortification at this point against the Ottoman raids on the island, which were still frequent at that time . This becomes clearest in the integration of a dry trench that surrounds the facility. The stone obtained from digging the trench was used to build the building. Grand Master Jean de Lascaris-Castellar (1636–1657) and later Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena (1722–1736) expanded the facility further.
In 1800 the palace was used as a military prison for Napoleon's soldiers who surrendered to the Anglo-Maltese armed forces. After that, the building was used as a silk factory for some time and fell into disrepair after it was closed. Governor Sir Frederick Ponsonby (1827–1836) began repairs to the building. Under Governor Sir William Reid (1851-1858) the palace was restored.
Verdala Palace was then used as the summer residence of the governors, like San Anton Palace . During this time, other changes were made. In 1939, at the beginning of World War II, the palace was used as a depot for the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts .
From 1982 Verdala Palace was used for official state receptions. A new power supply was installed, the exterior walls renovated and the facilities improved. In 1987 incumbent President Paul Xuereb took over Verdala Palace as his official residence. The palace housed many important personalities, such as King George V and Queen Mary in 1912, Prince Albert in 1913, the later King George VI. in April 1943, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra , Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia in 1909 and 1919, Emperor Wilhelm II in 1904, Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi , Josip Broz Tito , Nicolae Ceaușescu and Giovanni Leone .
Verdala Palace is currently the official summer residence of the President of Malta. In the recent past numerous activities, such as the annual Moon Ball in August and concerts for the benefit of the Malta Community Chest , have taken place in the palace. The palace is not open to the public.
architecture
The building is inspired by Italian villas that Cassar met on his study trips. At the same time, its ground plan and towers are reminiscent of the defensive towers built by the order on the island. The floor plan of the palace is almost square with a side length of about 23 or 28 meters. The villa has two floors, the towers at all four corners three of them. Access is via a small bridge into an almost square entrance hall.
The main rectangular hall with a barrel vault follows the entrance hall . This room served as a dining room. To the left and right of the hall there are three or two smaller, square rooms. The staircase to the second floor is in the room to the right of the entrance hall. The main staircase of the palace is a spiral spiral staircase . It was also designed by Cassar. The towers are accessed through entrances in the corner rooms.
The main facade of the palace faces north. Next to the main portal there are two windows on each side. Doors and windows are equipped with simple window surrounds in the style of Renaissance edged. The first and second floors are optically separated from each other by a window cornice . The second floor with the balcony over the entrance portal, the balustrades and the triangular ornamental gables over the windows shows baroque elements and was added later.
The vault in the main hall of the Verdala Palace is adorned with a mural depicting eight mythological figures and two virtues, all of which are arranged within a fictional architectural and vegetal decoration. The painting is dated to the end of the 16th century and is attributed to the Florentine painter Filippo Paladini (Val di Sieve, 1544 - Mazzarino, 1614), but this attribution is currently not supported by documents.
A close study of the picture shows that its story is very complex indeed. Several extensive restorations were found, but most of them have not yet been clearly assigned. The last extensive overpainting was carried out in the years 1910–1912 by a Maltese artist, Giuseppe Cali (1846–1930). In the late 1930s, under Governor Sir Charles Bonham Carter, the entire vault was covered with varnish and then painted over white. In the 1980s, parts of the painting, such as the figure of Pallas , were restored. In 2003 the entire first vault, in which Baccus and Mars are depicted, was exposed. Work to reconstruct the painting is currently ongoing.
Immediately north of the palace is a chapel built in the French Baroque style.
The Buskett Gardens are the only closed wooded area on the island and are nesting grounds for many species of birds. Every year on June 29th the Mnarja Festival of Lights takes place in the gardens . This harvest festival is likely the origin of the Maltese fiestas where the saints are venerated.
Trivia
The palace served as the filming location for the successful series Game of Thrones in the first season. It stood for a palace in the fictional city of Pentos .
Web links
- Site of the President of the Republic of Malta (English)
- And book (English)
Coordinates: 35 ° 51 ′ 41.1 ″ N , 14 ° 24 ′ 2.1 ″ E