Palazzo Vilhena
| Palazzo Vilhena | |
|---|---|
| Il-Palazz De Vilhena | |
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Forecourt of Palazzo Vilhena
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| Former names | Connaught Hospital |
| Alternative names | Vilhena Palace Magisterial Palace |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Palace |
| Architectural style | French Baroque |
| Location | Mdina, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°53′5.3″N 14°24′14″E / 35.884806°N 14.40389°E |
| Named for | António Manoel de Vilhena |
| Construction started | 1726 |
| Completed | 1728 |
| Owner | Government of Malta |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Charles François de Mondion |
| Website | |
| Heritage Malta | |
Palazzo Vilhena, also known as Vilhena Palace (Maltese: Il-Palazz De Vilhena) or the Magisterial Palace (Maltese: Palazz Maġisterjali), is a French Baroque palace in Mdina, Malta. It is named after António Manoel de Vilhena, the Grand Master who commissioned it. It was built between 1726 and 1728 to designs of the French architect Charles François de Mondion, on the site of the meeting place of the Università. The palace was used a hospital in the 19th and 20th centuries, and it became known as Connaught Hospital after 1909. Since 1973, it has been open to the public as the National Museum of Natural History.
The site of Palazzo Vilhena has been inhabited since ancient times, and post-Punic remains have been found in the area. In around the 8th century, a Byzantine fort was probably built on the site, and in the Middle Ages it developed into a castle known as the Castellu di la Chitati. The castle's inner walls were demolished in the 15th century, and the remaining part was converted into a palace by Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam in the 1530s. The palace was called the Palazzo Giuratale, and it housed the civil administrative council known as the Università. The structure was damaged in the 1693 Sicily earthquake.
On 3 November 1722, the newly elected Grand Master, António Manoel de Vilhena, issued orders for the restoration and renovation of Mdina. The city entrance was completely rebuilt, and the seat of the Università was demolished to make way for a summer palace for the Grand Master. A new Banca Giuratale was built to house the Università following the demolition of its meeting place.
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Wikipedia