Palazzo Santa Sofia is a palace in Mdina,

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 ...

, located in Villegaignon Street, across the square from the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

. Its ground floor was built in 1233, and it is believed to be the oldest surviving building in the city. The upper floor is of a much later construction, being built in the 20th century.

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 the

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands The National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) is a heritage register listing the cultural property of Malta. The inventory includes properties such as archaeological sites, fortifications, religious buildings, mo ...

Architecture

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 nearby

Palazzo Falson Palazzo Falson, formerly known as Palazzo Cumbo-Navarra, Casa dei Castelletti, and the Norman House, is a medieval townhouse in Mdina, Malta. It was purposely built as a family residence by the Maltese nobility, and it is named after the Falson ...

. The more recent upper floor is characterized by four ornate

mullion A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

ed windows, and a one-tiered ''palline losanghe'' cornice is located at roof level. A number of coats of arms can be found on both floors of the façade.

References

{{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