Castellania (Valletta)
| Castellania | |
|---|---|
| Kastellanja, Kastellanija, Kistlanija, Klistanija | |
Façade of the Castellania
|
|
| Former names | Gran Corte della Castellania (many variants) Gran Corte della Valletta Palais de Justice Palace/Courts of Justice Palazzo della Castellania Palazzo del Tribunale Castellany |
| Alternative names | Palazzo Castellania Castellania Palace Châtellenie |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Courthouse |
| Architectural style | Baroque |
| Location | Valletta, Malta |
| Address | No. 11–19, Merchants Street |
| Coordinates | 35°53′48″N 14°30′45″E / 35.89667°N 14.51250°ECoordinates: 35°53′48″N 14°30′45″E / 35.89667°N 14.51250°E |
| Current tenants | Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care |
| Construction started | 1757 |
| Opened | 1760 |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone (façade decorated with Carrara marble) |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect |
Francesco Zerafa Giuseppe Bonici |
The Castellania (Maltese: Il-Kastellanija; Italian: La Castellania), officially known as the Castellania Palace (Italian: Palazzo Castellania; Maltese: Il-Palazz Kastellanja), is a former courthouse and prison in Valletta, Malta. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1757 and 1760, on the site of an earlier courthouse which had been built in 1572.
The building was built in the Baroque style to designs of the architects Francesco Zerafa and Giuseppe Bonici. It is a prominent building in Merchants Street, having an ornate façade with an elaborate marble centrepiece. Features of the interior include former court halls, a chapel, prison cells, a statue of Lady Justice at the main staircase and an ornate fountain in the courtyard.
From the late 18th to the early 19th century, the building was also known by a number of names, including the Palazzo del Tribunale, the Palais de Justice and the Gran Corte della Valletta. By the mid-19th century the building was deemed too small, and the courts were gradually moved to Auberge d'Auvergne between 1840 and 1853. The Castellania was then abandoned, before being briefly converted into an exhibition centre, a tenant house and a school.
In 1895, the building was converted into the head office of the Public Health Department. The department was eventually succeeded by Malta's health ministry (currently known as the Ministry for Health, the Elderly and Community Care), which is still housed in the Castellania. The building's ground floor contains a number of shops, while the belongings of Sir 's laboratory are now housed at the second floor and is open to the public by appointment as The Brucellosis Museum.
...
Wikipedia