Inquisitor's Palace
- Not to be confused with the Palace of the Holy Office in the Vatican. For the palace in Siġġiewi, see Girgenti Palace. For the palace in Mexico City, see Palace of the Inquisition
| Inquisitor's Palace | |
|---|---|
| Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur | |
| File:Malta Vittoriosa BW 2011-10-06 11-37-03.jpg
View of the palace
|
|
| Former names | Castellania |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Palace |
| Location | Birgu, Malta |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Construction started | 1530s |
| Renovated | 17th-18th centuries |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Nicolò Flavari |
| Renovating team | |
| Architect | Francesco Buonamici Francesco Sammut |
| Website | |
| Heritage Malta | |
The Inquisitor's Palace (Maltese: Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur) is a palace in Birgu, Malta. It was built in the 16th century as a courthouse, and it was used the inquisitor's residence from 1574 to 1798. It is now open to the public as the National Museum of Ethnography.
History
The Inquisitor's Palace was originally built in the 1530s as the Castellania, the civil law courts of the Order of St. John. The design is attributed to the architect Nicolò Flavari. The Castellania moved to new premises in the newly built capital city of Valletta in 1571.[1]
Following the establishment of the Roman Inquisition in 1574, the building became the inquisitor's residence. The first inquisitor who took up residence in the palace was Pietro Dusina.[2] The building also housed the inquisition's tribunal and prisons.[3]
Over the years, the palace underwent a number of modifications. Its façade was rebuilt in 1660 by Francesco Buonamici and Francesco Sammut. It was again enlarged in the early 18th century, and the main staircase was built in 1733. Today, very little remains of the original Castellania structure due to the later alterations.[4]
The building was used as the residence of the inquisitor until the inquisition was abolished in 1798 during the French occupation of Malta. It was subsequently used as a hospital, mess house and a refugee camp.[5]
Present day
The Inquisitor's Palace is one of the few surviving palaces of its kind around the world, since many were destroyed during and after the French Revolution, or were left to decay over the centuries.[6] The summer residence of Malta's inquisitor, Girgenti Palace, has also survived.
Today, the building houses the National Museum of Ethnography, which is managed by Heritage Malta. Its collection aims to portray the salient aspects of Malta's urban religious culture, placing particular focus on the early modern period and the impact of the Inquisition on Maltese society through the centuries.
These two related themes are elucidated by means of a display that brings together the liturgical calendar with the most popular cults and devotions on the island.
The museum is also open to school-related outings and tourist excursions.
The palace is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[4]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu. |
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- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles containing Maltese-language text
- Commons category link is locally defined
- Buildings and structures completed in the 16th century
- Museums in Malta
- Religious museums
- Buildings and structures in Birgu
- Palaces in Malta
- Former courthouses in Malta
- Inquisition
- Limestone buildings in Malta
- National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
