Auberge de France
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First Auberge de France |
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|---|---|
| Berġa ta' Franza | |
View of the first Auberge de France, in Valletta, in 2016
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| General information | |
| Status | Partially intact |
| Type | Auberge |
| Architectural style | Mannerist |
| Location | Valletta, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°53′53.2″N 14°30′31.5″E / 35.898111°N 14.508750°E |
| Construction started | c. 1570 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Girolamo Cassar |
|
Second Auberge de France |
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|---|---|
| Berġa ta' Franza | |
View of the second Auberge de France in the late 19th century
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|
| General information | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Type | Auberge |
| Architectural style | Mannerist |
| Location | Valletta, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°53′52.1″N 14°30′34.2″E / 35.897806°N 14.509500°E |
| Construction started | c. 1588 |
| Destroyed | 8 April 1942 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Girolamo Cassar |
Auberge de France (Maltese: Berġa ta' Franza) refers to two auberges in Valletta, Malta. They were both built in the 16th century 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 first auberge was built sometime after 1570, and it is still partially intact. The second, larger auberge was built after 1588, and it was destroyed by aerial bombardment in 1942. The site of the latter is now occupied by the Workers' Memorial Building, which was constructed in the 1960s.
Following the transfer of the capital city of Malta from Birgu to Valletta, the langue of France had to move from its original auberge in Birgu to a new site in Valletta. The first French auberge in Valletta was built sometime after 1570, on a site bounded by Old Mint Street, South Street, Scots Street and Windmill Street, and it was designed by the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar. It remained in use until the construction of the second auberge sometime after 1588.
The original auberge later temporary housed the German langue while Auberge d'Allemagne was undergoing repairs in 1604, and part of it was later leased to the Treasury to house the mint of the Order until 1788. Parts of this building, including most of the façade except for the main doorway, are still in existence.
By the 1580s, this first auberge was too small to house the langue of France, so on 2 April 1588 the French langue requested to transfer its headquarters to a plot on the corner of South Street and Old Bakery Street. This site was occupied by the house of Bali Fra Christopher le Bolver dit Montgauldry, which was eventually incorporated into the new auberge. The second auberge was also designed by Cassar.
The second auberge continued to house the langue of France until 1798, when the Order left Malta due to the French occupation. It was subsequently used for a number of purposes, and by the 1830s, it was the residence of the Commissary General. The building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925 together with the other auberges in Valletta. At the time of its destruction, the auberge was the headquarters of the Department of Education.
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Wikipedia