Dragonara Palace
| Dragonara Palace | |
|---|---|
| Il-Palazz tad-Dragunara | |
View of the Dragonara Palace
|
|
| Alternative names | Palazzo Dragonara Villa Dragonara Dragonara Casino |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Palace (now casino) |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Location | St. Julian's, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°55′35″N 14°29′40.9″E / 35.92639°N 14.494694°E |
| Named for | Dragonara Point |
| Completed | 1870 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | unknown, possibly Giuseppe Bonavia |
| Website | |
| www.dragonaracasino.com | |
Dragonara Palace (Maltese: Il-Palazz tad-Dragunara), also known as Palazzo Dragonara or Villa Dragonara, is a palace in St. Julian's, Malta. It was built in 1870 as a summer residence for the Scicluna family, and it is now a casino called Dragonara Casino.
The palace is named after Dragonara Point, the peninsula on which it was built. According to local legends, a dragon lived in caves near the peninsula, but the roaring which was heard was probably the sound of the waves hitting the rocks or the howling of the wind. It is believed that the rumours of the dragon were spread by smugglers to discourage people from going to the area.
The Dragonara Palace was built in 1870 on Dragonara Point, which had been previously occupied by Ta' Għemmuna Battery. The palace served as the summer residence of Emanuele Scicluna, a banker who became a marquis in 1875.
During World War I, it was temporarily used as an officers' hospital. Later on, the Scicluna family hosted over 100 refugees in the palace during World War II.
The palace opened as a casino on 15 July 1964, at a time when nearby Paceville began its transition from a mainly agricultural area to a tourist hub. The Dragonara Casino was the first casino in Malta, and this was a major step in establishing Malta as a tourist destination. In the 1990s, The Westin Dragonara hotel was built on part of the palace's gardens.
The casino was privatized in 1999, and the company Dragonara Casino Ltd was set up to run the business for 10 years. The palace was restored in 2008. Two years later, the casino was taken over by Dragonara Gaming Ltd, who have spent over €15 million in renovating the building. It receives about 350,000 patrons annually, making it the most popular casino in Malta.
...
Wikipedia