Girgenti Palace ( mt, Palazz tal-Girgenti) is a
palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
near
Siġġiewi
Siġġiewi ( mt, Is-Siġġiewi, ), also called by its title Città Ferdinand, is a city and a local council in the Southern Region of Malta. It is the third largest council in Malta by surface area, after Rabat and Mellieħa respectively. It i ...
,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. It was built in 1625 as the summer residence of Malta's inquisitor, and is therefore also known as the Inquisitor's Palace ( mt, Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur). It is now an official residence of the
Prime Minister of Malta
The prime minister of Malta ( mt, Prim Ministru ta' Malta) is the head of government, which is the highest official of Malta. The Prime Minister chairs Cabinet meetings, and selects its ministers to serve in their respective portfolios. The Pr ...
.
History
![Girgenti Palace, Malta](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Girgenti_Palace%2C_Malta.jpg)
Girgenti Palace was built in 1625 as the summer residence of Inquisitor Onorato Visconti, on a strip of land confiscated from Matteo Falzon ( mt, Matti Falzun), who had been condemned as a heretic.
[ Falzon was not accused alone as also Cleric Wenzu Falzon had been accused with him of witchcraft. Wenzu self-exiled in ]France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
where he continued a life against church teaching and Matteo went into hiding in Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
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, demographi ...
. Both were sentenced in absentia
is Latin for absence. , a legal term, is Latin for "in the absence" or "while absent".
may also refer to:
* Award in absentia
* Declared death in absentia, or simply, death in absentia, legally declared death without a body
* Election in absen ...
by the inquisition with representative ‘corps’. No property was taken from Wenzu as he had nothing of real value left behind. Matteo remained known by the locals as the "Falzon Wizard" ( mt, is-Saħħar Falzun).
A chapel dedicated to St Charles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo ( it, Carlo Borromeo; la, Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation combat a ...
was built near the palace in 1763 by Inquisitor Angelo Maria Durini
Angelo Maria Durini (29 May 1725 – 28 April 1796) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman-Catholic Church.
Durini was born in Milan. After studying in Rome and receiving the grade of a doctor, he worked in the papal nunciature in Paris. He was ...
.
The palace was included on the Antiquities List of 1925.
The palace remained the summer residence of the inquisitors until 1798, when the Inquisition
The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...
was abolished during the French occupation of Malta
The French occupation of Malta lasted from 1798 to 1800. It was established when the Order of Saint John surrendered to Napoleon Bonaparte following the French landing in June 1798. In Malta, the French established a constitutional tradition in M ...
. It was subsequently used as a summer residence for the Lieutenant-Governors of Malta. In World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, some of the collections of the Palace Armoury
The Palace Armoury ( mt, L-Armerija tal-Palazz) is an arms collection housed at the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta, Malta. It was the main armoury of the Order of St. John in the 17th and 18th centuries, and as such it was the last arsenal esta ...
were stored at Girgenti Palace for safekeeping.
The palace was left abandoned until it was restored between 1988 and 1990, and converted into the summer residence of the Prime Minister of Malta
The prime minister of Malta ( mt, Prim Ministru ta' Malta) is the head of government, which is the highest official of Malta. The Prime Minister chairs Cabinet meetings, and selects its ministers to serve in their respective portfolios. The Pr ...
.
Present day
The palace is occasionally open to the public.
Both the palace and chapel are listed on the .
Design
The palace has a simple layout, with its rooms arranged in a rectilinear layout. It has a plain façade, with few decorative elements.
Further reading
*
The fluctuating fortunes of three summer palaces
'
References
External links
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
Siġġiewi
Official residences in Malta
Buildings and structures completed in 1625
Palaces in Malta
Inquisition in Malta
Prime ministerial residences
Limestone buildings in Malta
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
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