| Bishop's Palace | |
|---|---|
Il-Palazz tal-Isqof | |
 The Bishop's Palace in 2014 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Palace |
| Location | Birgu, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°53′14.1″N14°31′24.4″E / 35.887250°N 14.523444°E |
| Completed | 16th century |
| Renovated | 17th century |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
The Bishop's Palace (Maltese : Il-Palazz tal-Isqof) is a palatial building in Birgu, Malta which was a residence of the Roman Catholic Bishops of Malta. It was constructed in the 16th century.
The building which later became known as the Bishop's Palace was originally built in around the 16th century. [1] It belonged to the Abela family (ancestors of Giovanni Francesco Abela) until it was purchased by Bishop Domenico Cubelles in 1542. Apart from being a residence for the Bishop, the building also housed the Curia and an ecclesiastical tribunal. [2] A prison where detainees awaiting trial or serving sentences handed out by the Bishop's court was also located in an adjacent annex. [1]
After Valletta replaced Birgu as Malta's capital city in the 1570s, the Curia initially remained in the Birgu palace [2] as Malta's Hospitaller rulers were against moving the Bishop's seat to the new city. [3] The palace was modified by Baldassare Cagliares who was Bishop from 1615 to 1633, but during his episcopate he also constructed a new Bishop's Palace in Valletta and the Curia finally moved out of Birgu. [2] Cagliares was therefore the last Bishop who resided within the Birgu palace. [1]
The building remained property of the Curia and it was sometimes used by later Bishops during pastoral visits. [1] It was further enlarged later on in the 17th century during the episcopate of Bishop Miguel Juan Balaguer. [2] At some points it was rented out as a tenement, and for some time it housed a children's school until falling into disuse by the early 21st century. [1]
The building is now listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. [2]
The building's façade has a distinctive 16th century style, and it is believed to retain its original configuration. [1]
The Auberge d'Aragon is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was built in 1571 to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Aragon, Navarre and Catalonia. It is the only surviving auberge in Valletta which retains its original Mannerist design by the architect Girolamo Cassar.
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The Auberge d'Aragon is an auberge in Birgu, Malta. It was built in the 16th century to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Aragon, Navarre and Catalonia.
Auberge de France is an auberge in Birgu, Malta. It was built around 1533 to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of France, which induced the entire Kingdom of France except for Auvergne and Provence which were separate langues. The building housed the French langue until a new Auberge de France was opened in Valletta.
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Casa Leoni or Casa Leone, also known as Palazzo Manoel or the Vilhena Palace, is a palace in Santa Venera, Malta, which was built as a summer residence for Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena in 1730. It was subsequently used for a number of purposes, including as an insurgent command base, an official residence, a museum depository and a school. It currently houses the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects (MTIP).
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Villa Cagliares, also referred to as It-Tempju in Maltese, is a baroque country villa in Żejtun, Malta. It was built in the seventeenth century as a country villa and hunting lodge by Bishop Baldassare Cagliares. The mansion is set at the edge of Ħajt il-Wied valley, and it houses a chapel, a formal garden with a front court, and a number of unique architectural features. This villa is scheduled as a Grade 1 property by the Planning Authority.
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