Mdina palazzo restored to its former glory

Palazzo de Piro has been restored to its former glory through a €10 million scheme directed at sustainable tourism.

Nestled in the bastion walls of Mdina, the 17th century palazzo was home to the illustrious de Piro D’Amico Inguanez family.

The current palazzo was originally three separate houses, the oldest parts of which date back to the second half of the16th century.

Over the past two centuries, the palazzo has been remodelled numerous times. Extensive structural changes were made during the 1950s to accommodate its function of a school, run by the Dorothean nuns.

In 2005, Palazzo de Piro was acquired by the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter, also responsible for the Mdina Cathedral and the Mdina Cathedral museum.

Under the guidance of Mgr Victor Grech, the expertise of Martin Xuereb and the management of Xara Palace Relais and Chateaux, the restored grand house now provides a hub of cultural activity.

The renovation was undertaken as a three-phase project. The first centred on the palazzo’s architectural restoration, while the second phase comprised the embellishing of the restored area. The third phase will improve accessibility for the disabled.

Referring to Palazzo de Piro as “a gem”, Culture Minister Mario de Marco emphasised the need to preserve such cultural sites not only for tourism purposes but also for the enjoyment of future generations of Maltese.

The palazzo features a programme of various collections held by the Metropolitan Cathedral Museum and is also host to a wide variety of artistic events.

During the summer, the picturesque courtyard is transformed into an open-air theatre while art exhibitions, concerts and seminars are organised throughout the year.

The regal rooms are also used for conferences, a growing niche within the Maltese Islands.

“Over 80,000 people visit Malta for conference purposes and spend significantly more than the average tourist,” the minister said.

The palazzo is currently hosting an exhibition titled The Art and History of Counting Prayers, which comprises a rare collection of rosary beads, archconfraternity articles dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, and other related liturgical works of art on loan from private and ecclesiastical collections, many of which are available for viewing for the first time.