Hoping to turn the 17th-century building into a much-needed space for the local community, the St Julian’s local council has formally asked the government to hand over jurisdiction of Palazzo Spinola.
Built in 1688, the baroque edifice has variously served as the grand master’s summer residence, a military hospital, a shelter for the homeless and an art museum.
It has housed the headquarters of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), an international organisation, since 2007 and is not open to the public.
St Julian’s deputy mayor Albert Buttigieg told the Times of Malta the historic gem, which includes gardens and a small chapel, had been overlooked during the drafting of the Paceville master plan, with attention given only to the nearby Dragonara Arch.
He said the council, which split along party lines in its reaction to the master plan, had voted unanimously in favour of his proposal to request the devolution of the palace from the central government.
If approved, the council hopes to set up its offices in the palace and convert it into a day or night shelter for the elderly, a public library, a community meeting place for local NGOs and a space for cultural events and art exhibitions.
“This is an opportunity for the State to give something back to the community,” Dr Buttigieg said. “We’re constantly facing problems of noise and vandalism; even our pavements are being taken up by kiosks.”
He insisted the building was being underused in its present function – housing PAM offices and hosting diplomatic meetings – pointing to several other venues around the island that could be a good alternative for the organisation.
“Right now we don’t have a place for our elderly despite several requests and our organisations have nowhere to meet. One of the goals of the Paceville master plan was regenerating historical buildings – of which there aren’t many in St Julian’s – but this architectural masterpiece has been completely ignored,” Dr Buttigieg said.
The council has written to the Land Department and to district MPs and also held a meeting with the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Deborah Schembri.
According to Dr Buttigieg, the parliamentary secretary said she had taken note of the council’s stand but offered no further feedback.