History
The ground floor of Palazzo Santa Sofia was built in the 13th century, and the date 1233 is inscribed on the moulding of one of its windows. The upper floor was built sometime after 1938. The building was periodically rented and used as a school run by Roman Catholic nuns. Today, the palace is privately owned, and it is managed by a local heritage foundation ''Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti''. It is not open to the general public, although it can be hired for dinner or cocktail parties, lectures or other events. The palace is scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument, and it is also listed in theArchitecture
Palazzo Santa Sofia originally had a single story, and was built around a central courtyard. The main doorway to the palace was originally through an arched passageway known as a ''siqifah'', which led to the courtyard. The passageway was eventually converted into a narrow street called ''Triq Santa Sofia'' (Santa Sofia Street). The façade of the ground floor is rather plain, and it contains two doors with the passageway in between. A two-tiered ''palline losanghe'' cornice separates the ground floor from the first floor. This cornice is similar to the one found at the nearbyReferences
{{Mdina Santa Sofia Mdina Buildings and structures completed in 1233 Houses completed in the 13th century Houses completed in the 20th century National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands Limestone buildings in Malta Defunct schools in Malta 13th-century establishments in Malta Medieval Maltese architecture