Auberge d'Auvergne
| Auberge d'Auvergne | |
|---|---|
| Berġa ta' Alvernja | |
The main façade of Auberge d'Auvergne
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| General information | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Type | Auberge |
| Architectural style | Mannerist |
| Location | Valletta, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°53′53.7″N 14°30′44.2″E / 35.898250°N 14.512278°E |
| Construction started | 1571 or 1574 |
| Completed | c. 1583 |
| Renovated | 1783 (enlarged) 1853 (alterations) |
| Destroyed | 30 April 1941 (bombed) 1950s–60s (ruins demolished) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Girolamo Cassar |
The Auberge d'Auvergne (Maltese: Berġa ta' Alvernja) was an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was built in the 16th century to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Auvergne. It became a courthouse in the 19th century, and it remained so until it was destroyed by aerial bombardment in 1941. The site is now occupied by the Courts of Justice building, which was constructed in the 1960s.
Auberge d'Auvergne was located in Great Siege Square within Strada San Giorgio (now known as Republic Street), facing the nave of St. John's Co-Cathedral. The langue of Auvergne received the authorization to construct the auberge on 8 June 1570, and construction started either in 1571 or 1574. It was completed in around 1583, and the building was constructed to a design of the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar. Auberge d'Auvergne was enlarged in 1783, when part of an adjacent 16th-century palace called Casa Caccia was incorporated into the building. The auberge continued to house the langue of Auvergne until 1798, when the Order left Malta due to the French occupation.
From 1825 onwards, the auberge housed the Tribunale di Pirateria and the Corte di Fallimento, while Governor Sir Henry Bouverie moved the Civil Courts from the Castellania to Auberge d'Auvergne in 1840. The courts of criminal jurisdiction and the office of Police were also moved to the auberge in 1853, and a number of alterations were made to the building under the direction of Superintendent of Government Works William Lamb Arrowsmith. The ground floor of the building was occupied by a number of shops, and in the early 20th century part of it housed the Alhambra Cinema.
The building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925 together with the other auberges in Valletta. On 23 May 1930, an assassination attempt occurred in the auberge, when Ġanni Miller fired three shots at Prime Minister Lord Strickland.
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