Verdala Palace

The Verdala Palace is a palace in the village of Siggiewi (Maltese Is- Siggiewi ), Malta. It is an official residence of the President of the Republic of Malta.

History

At the site of the palace was formerly a small hunting lodge, which was built by Grand Master Jean de la Valette- Parisot 1557-1568. The hunt was established after the transfer of the island to the Knights Hospitallers of this on the island. The time now Buskett mentioned range (Italian: Boschetto ) was selected because of the lush vegetation, the food -seeking game attracted. The creek below the elevation lying in Wied il - Luq mentioned valley, one of the few occurrences of surface water on the island, made ​​during most of the year for the irrigation of the area.

The current building was built by Grand Master Hugues de Loubenx Verdale in 1586. Verdale wanted a system that was both representative and comfortable, on the other hand also offered some protection. The architect Gerolamo Cassar, who built numerous buildings on the island on behalf of the Order, planned at this point a small fortification against the at that time still frequent Ottoman raids on the island. This is in the integration of a dry moat, which orbits the system most clearly. The recovered during the excavation of the trench stone was used to build the building. Grandmaster Jean de Lascaris - Castellar (1636-1657) and later Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena (1722-1736) built the system further.

In 1800 the palace was used as a military prison for Napoleon's soldiers who had surrendered to the Anglo- Maltese armed forces. After that, the building was used for some time as silk factory and fell into disuse after its closure. Governor Sir Frederick Ponsonby (1827-1836) began with the restoration of the building. Under Governor Sir William Reid (1851-1858) was restored to the palace.

Verdala Palace was then used, as well as San Anton Palace as a summer residence of the governors. During this time, additional changes were made. In 1939, at the beginning of World War II, the palace was used as a depot for the collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts.

From 1982 Verdala Palace was used for official state receptions. A new power supply was installed, the exterior walls renovated and improved the facilities. In 1987, the incumbent President Paul Xuereb Verdala Palace took over as his official residence. The palace was home to many significant figures such as King George V and Queen Mary in 1912, Prince Albert in 1913, the future King George VI. in April 1943, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia in 1909 and 1919, Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1904, Colonel Muammar al - Gaddafi, Josip Broz Tito, Nicolae Ceauşescu and Giovanni Leone.

Verdala Palace is currently the official summer residence of the President of Malta. In the recent past were numerous activities such as the annual Moon Ball in August as well as concerts in favor of the Malta Community Chest, held in the palace. The palace is not open to the public.

Architecture

The building is inspired by Italian villas that met Cassar on study trips. At the same time it reminds the floor plan and the towers built by the Order of the towers on the island. The ground plan of the palace is almost square with a side length of about 23 or 28 meters. The villa has two floors, the upstream at all four corners towers three. Access is via a small bridge in a nearly square hall.

In the entrance hall is followed by the main rectangular hall with a barrel vault. This room served as a dining room. Left or right of the hall are three and two smaller, square rooms. The stairway to the second floor is located in the space to the right of the entrance hall. The main staircase of the palace is a spiral staircase. It was also designed by Cassar. The towers are accessible by additions in the corner rooms.

The main facade of the palace is oriented to the north. In addition to the main entrance are located on each side, two windows. Door and windows are framed with simple Faschen in the Renaissance style. First and second floor are visually visually separated by a window-sill. The second floor with the balcony above the entrance, the balustrades and the triangular pediments above the windows has baroque elements and was added later.

The vault in the main hall of Verdala Palace is decorated with a mural depicting mythological figures of eight and two virtues, which are all located within a fictive architectural and vegetal decoration. The painting is dated to the end of the 16th century, the Florentine painter Filippo Paladini (Val di Sieve, 1544 - Mazzarino, 1614 ) attributed to, but this attribution can not currently be supported by documents.

A close study of the image shows that his story is very complex indeed. Several extensive restorations were detected, the most so far but can not be clearly assigned. The last comprehensive overpainting was conducted in the years 1910-1912 from a Maltese artist Giuseppe Cali ( 1846-1930 ). In the late 1930s, the entire vault was me covered varnish and then painted over in white under Governor Sir Charles Bonham Carter. In the 1980s, parts of the painting, such as the figure of Pallas restored. In 2003, the entire first curvature, are shown in the Baccus and Mars was exposed. Work on the reconstruction of the painting are being continued.

Just north of the palace is built in the style of a French baroque chapel.

The Buskett represent the only closed forest area of ​​the island and are nesting ground for many species of birds. Every year on June 29 will be held the Mnarja - Festival of Lights in the Gardens. This Thanksgiving is probably the origin of the Maltese fiestas, in which the saints are venerated.

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