One World - Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of Valletta (94)
The Archbishop's Palace
In 1622 Bishop Cagliares thought of establishing his residence in Valletta, the design of which was commissioned to Tumas Dingli (1591-1666).
After a power-play controversy between the Bishop and the Order the palace was built as a one-storey building with a garden on the rear.
The Bishop established both his residence and Archbishop's Curia. The palace was extended and improved during the time of Bishop Alpheran de Bussan in 1730.
In the 1950s Archbishop Michele Gonzi oversaw the construction of most of the upper floor level.
The two-storey palace has a symmetrical façade with the centrepiece including the main portal featuring Ionic fluted columns and pilasters set in a concave embrace of the entrance typical of Baroque architecture.
The portal is surmounted by a large statue symbolising Christianity and which is set in a concave reredos.
The portal extends beyond the building line as if the Bishop's Palace is "stepping forward", implying greater hierarchy from the rest of the buildings.
The large entrance hall has a richly decorated vaulted ceiling having coffering consisting of Greek crosses, six-pointed stars and a geometric interstice between the crosses and stars. Three escutcheons are located between the doors while another one adorns the centre of the ceiling and which features the Wignacourt aqueduct above a cherub holding a palm frond.
Mepa scheduled the Archbishop's Palace as a Grade 1 national monument as per Government Notice No. 276/08 in the Government Gazette dated March 28, 2008.