Restored palace earmarked for financial services

The historic Caraffa Palace on the Vittoriosa waterfront has been restored to its former glory by the Cottonera Waterfront Group after years of neglect.

The palace is currently being used as the official centre of operations for the Middle Sea Yacht Race.

Director Edward Bencini told a news conference yesterday that restoration work on both the external and internal structure of the palace was carried out over the past 18 months, at a cost of some Lm250,000.

Restoring the façade was a delicate operation, while the halls and chambers were cleaned and painted and most of the wooden apertures, which were in a bad state, had to be changed.

The restoration project team was headed by the consortium's architectural and conservation consultant Michael Ellul.

Edward Scicluna, chairman of the Cottonera Waterfront Group, said that after the Middle Sea Yacht Race the consortium would be issuing a call for tenders and opening negotiations with third parties to lease the extensive area within the Caraffa Palace for commercial and business purposes.

The consortium was trying to market the area as a whole for financial, insurance or other services, and property agents were making contacts both in Malta and abroad. Interest has already been expressed in the site by locals and foreigners.

Mr Bencini said the Cottonera project, awarded to two consortiums four years ago, had involved a lot of planning and research which had taken time, but it was now taking shape.

The yacht marina was almost fully operational while St Angelo Mansions would be completed by the end of the year.

The investment being made in the project - Lm16 million to Lm20 million - would also help to regenerate the area and create new employment and business opportunities for the local community and economy.

Mr Ellul said that the building known as Caraffa Stores or Captain's Stores was one of the largest on the Vittoriosa waterfront. It had served the double purpose of private quarters for two captains of the Order's larger vessels and for stores and warehouses on the ground floor.

It was erected in 1689 during the Magistracy of Gregorio Caraffa (1680-1690) and formed an integral part of the extensive complex of the Vittoriosa waterfront. Grand Master Caraffa was instrumental in promoting trade and commerce in Malta and was one of those within the Order to realise the importance of a sound infrastructure.

A marble slab above the central door of the building bears the inscription "Anno Salvtis MDCLXXXIX - 1689".

There are also two marble coats-of-arms. In all probability they were defaced following one of the first decrees of Napoleon in June, 1798, which ordered the deletion of all marks of heraldry of the Order of St John from all public and private buildings.

The site on which the building was erected was bought from the parish priest of St Lawrence parish, in Vittoriosa, on condition that a niche be cut in the façade to have a crucifix and two painted images to commemorate the existence of a small church dedicated to St Andrew, which was pulled down to make room for the new structure.

It is said that the knights, when going in procession between Fort St Angelo and St Lawrence church, always saluted the cross carved inside the niche as did their galleys and ships when passing up and down the Port of Galleys.

During the first years of British rule, the army took over the whole of the Marina Grande buildings, including the Caraffa Stores. These provided accommodation to the officer who was the second-in-command of the troops of the Cottonera District and his staff, in the upper floor.

In 1818, the buildings were ceded to the Royal Navy and Caraffa Stores were then assigned to the navy agent victualler for his residence and took the name of Captain's Stores. About this time, the naval victualling stores on the Vittoriosa waterfront were capable of holding six months' supply for 10,000 men.