Going underground at the Auberge de Castille

The vaults beneath the Auberge de Castille, in Valletta will be opened to the public on Saturday night for Notte Bianca, allowing visitors to get a glimpse of what lies beneath the Office of the Prime Minister.

The vaults provide a cross-section of the different eras Castille witnessed, from the time of the Knights, through to British rule and World War II and modern day use.

Hidden behind a glass door in the main courtyard is a short flight of steps hewn in the rock that opens out to a maze of small rooms with arched ceilings, deep trenches cut into the wall and deep wells that were used to collect rainwater.

Architect Edward Said, who will be guiding the groups on tours specifically organised for Notte Bianca, explained that the Castille vaults always, had a functional value. “These were purely functional. They were only used for storage and for the utilities, nothing more,” he stressed.

Parts of the vaults have been restored while other sections have been cleaned up and some areas still have to be discovered.

Although not all the site will be accessible to the public, the accessible areas will give a clear idea of how the cellar changed over the years.

Mr Said, an expert on the underground spaces in Valletta, explained how the stone cut out from the vault was used to build Castille in the 16th century, as required by law. Later, in the 18th century, Grand Master Manoel Pinto injected more money into the auberge, which was unfinished due to lack of funds, and transformed it into the building known to all today.

The vaults also have at least six deep wells and connecting shafts with grapple holds that allowed workers to climb down for cleaning purposes.

The British raised the height of the underground rooms, which were very low, by digging deeper into the ground, probably using a jackhammer. They also built, carefully labelled shelves to hold bottles of port.

During World War II, parts of the vaults were transformed into shelters but, as the attacks worsened, the British realised these were not enough. Instead, passageways were cut to air raid shelters in other buildings. These were sealed off after the war.

“The Knights never built interconnecting tunnels between their buildings; it is an urban legend. These were built by the British during the war,” Mr Said explained.

The tours, which will last 30 minutes, start at 7.30 p.m. and end at 12.30 a.m. Tickets can be picked up on the night from the side entrance to Castille from Merchants' Street.