The Archbishop's Palace (), known prior to 1944 as the Bishop's Palace (), is a palatial building in

Mdina Mdina ( ; ), also known by its Italian epithets ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortifications of Mdina, fortified city in the Western Region, Malta, Western Region of Malta which served as the island's former capital, from antiquity ...

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

which is a residence of the Archbishop of Malta. It was constructed in the early 18th century, and it is located close to

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

and the Mdina Cathedral Museum.

History

A bishop's residence existed in Mdina in 1445, and amongst other functions it housed the diocese's archives (''Archivum Archiepiscopalis Melitensis'', AAM). The residence and administrative seat moved from Mdina to a second

Bishop's Palace A bishop's palace is a form of ecclesiastical architecture constituting the official residence of a bishop.The term was not used in the British Isles until the Church of England was restructured following the Norman Conquest of 1066 AD. However, th ...

in the capital city of

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

in the mid-1630s. The present building was constructed between 1718 and 1720 according to the designs of architect

Lorenzo Gafà Lorenzo Gafà (1639–1703) was a Maltese Baroque architect and sculptor. He designed many churches in the Maltese Islands, including St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina and the Cathedral of the Assumption in Victoria, Gozo. He was the younger brot ...

, shortly after the reconstruction of the adjacent

. On 10 June 1798, during the

French invasion of Malta The French First Republic led by Napoleon Bonaparte successfully invaded the islands of Malta (island), Malta and Gozo, then Hospitaller Malta, ruled by the Knights Hospitaller, in June 1798 as part of the Mediterranean campaign of 1798, Mediter ...

, the palace hosted a council meeting during which city officials decided to surrender Mdina to the French without a fight. The capitulation document was signed within the palace, and on the same day French general

Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois (; 1 October 1748 in Ville-sous-la-Ferté, Aube – 5 November 1839) was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He is best known for the surrender of Malta to the British in ...

and his staff were invited to dine with Bishop

Vincenzo Labini Vincenzo Labini (28 April 1735 – 30 April 1807) was an Italian archbishop who served as Bishop of Malta from 1780 till 1807. Biography Labini was born in Bitonto, Italy on April 28, 1735. In 1758 he was ordained priest of the Sovereign Milita ...

Architecture

The palace is built within a restricted site in Archbishop's Square directly adjacent to the Cathedral and the city's fortifications. Its exterior gives an impression of importance and elegance despite being dominated by the cathedral, and the ground floor consists of small, undecorated rooms while the upper floor is more imposing.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Mdina Buildings and structures completed in 1720 Episcopal palaces of the Catholic Church Limestone buildings in Malta Mdina

History

Architecture

See also

Notes

References

External links