Hostel de Verdelin

Hostel de Verdelin
File:Hostel de Verdelin.jpeg Façade of the Hostel de Verdelin
Alternative names	Palazzo Verdelin Casa delle Colombe
General information
Status	Intact
Type	Palace
Architectural style	Spanish Baroque
Location	Valletta, Malta
Coordinates
Current tenants	Police Department
Named for	Jean-Jacques de Verdelin
Completed	c. 1650
Owner	12 private owners
Technical details
Material	Limestone
Floor count	2
Design and construction
Architect	Francesco Buonamici (attributed)

The Hostel de Verdelin, also known as Palazzo Verdelin or the Casa delle Colombe, is a palace in Valletta, Malta. It was built in the mid-17th century for the knight Jean-Jacques de Verdelin, and it is an early example of Baroque architecture in Malta. The palace currently houses a police station and a restaurant.

History

The Hostel de Verdelin was built in around 1650 for Jean-Jacques de Verdelin, a French knight of the Order of St. John who held a number of important positions, including Commander of the Artillery, Auditor of Accounts and Grand Commander. The palace is attributed to the Italian architect Francesco Buonamici, who is sometimes credited for introducing Baroque architecture in Malta.

Following Verdelin's death in 1678, the palace was inherited by his brother Jean-François de Verdelin, who was also a knight. It subsequently became property of the Order, and it was used as a hostel. It was transferred to the government during the French occupation of Malta in 1798, and at this point, two coats of arms on the façade were defaced.

The building subsequently housed the Civil Service Sports Club. The building's façade was included on the Antiquities List of 1925.

File:Malta - Valletta - Triq l-Arcisqof - Hostel de Verdelin 01 ies.jpg

The palace now houses the Valletta police station

The palace currently belongs to 12 private owners, including Marco Gaffarena, the heirs of Antonio Zammit and the firm B. Tagliaferro and Sons Ltd. It is currently leased to the government to house the Valletta police station, although the owners have been demanding that the property be vacated since October 2014. Part of the building houses a restaurant called Michael's.

During the Gaffarena scandal in 2015, in which the government gave Gaffarena €1.65 million in land and cash for his part ownership of another palace in Valletta, the opposition accused the government that it also intended to expropriate the Hotel de Verdelin. These claims were denied by home affairs minister Carmelo Abela, although it was later revealed that the Land Department had sent architects to draw up a valuation report of the palace between February and April 2015.

The palace is scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

Architecture

File:L'Hostel de Verdelin.jpeg

L' Hostel de Verdelin inscription

The Hostel de Verdelin is an early example of Baroque architecture in Malta. Its ornate façade has significant influences from the Spanish Baroque style, which is unusual in Malta, where Italian and French Baroque are more common.

The palace is the largest of three adjacent buildings which belonged to Verdelin.