Selmun Palace

Selmun Palace
Il-Palazz ta' Selmun
Facade of Selmun Palace
Selmun Palace Location within Malta
Alternative names	Selmun Tower Selmun Castle
General information
Status	Intact
Type	Palace
Architectural style	Baroque
Location	Selmun, Mellieħa, Malta
Coordinates	35°57′33.2″N 14°22′53.5″E / 35.959222°N 14.381528°E / 35.959222; 14.381528
Completed	18th century
Client	Monte della Redenzione degli Schiavi
Owner	Selmun Palace Hotel Company Ltd
Technical details
Material	Limestone
Design and construction
Architect	possibly Domenico Cachia

Selmun Palace (Maltese: Il-Palazz ta' Selmun), also known as Selmun Tower, is a palace on the Selmun Peninsula in Mellieħa, Malta. It was built in the 18th century by the Monte della Redenzione degli Schiavi, funded by the Monte di Pietà. The palace was located on the grounds of a hotel until it closed in 2011.

Selmun Palace was built by the Monte della Redenzione degli Schiavi, a charity that was founded during the reign of Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt in 1607 to finance the redemption of Christians enslaved by Ottomans or Barbary corsairs. The site of the palace originally contained a coastal lookout post, and it was part of a large estate which also included the Mistra Gate. The estate had been left to the Monte di Redenzione by the noblewoman Caterina Vitale upon her death in 1619. The palace used to be rented out to knights of the Order of Saint John as a place to relax and hunt wild rabbits, which were commonly found in the area. The rent money contributed to the redemption fund.

The palace itself was built the sometime in the 18th century, although the exact date of construction is not known. The earliest record of the structure is on a 1783 map, when it was referred to as Torre Nuova (new tower). The palace's architect is unknown, but it is sometimes attributed to Domenico Cachia.

In the 1840s, a semaphore station was installed on the palace. The building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925.

A hotel known as Selmun Palace Hotel was built close to the palace, and it was owned by Selmun Palace Hotel Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Air Malta. Some suites were included in the palace itself, which was also used as a wedding venue.