Bishop's Palace, Birgu
Palace in Birgu, Malta From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bishop's Palace (Maltese: Il-Palazz tal-Isqof) is a palatial building in Birgu, Malta which was a residence of the Roman Catholic Bishops of Malta. It was constructed in the 16th century.
| Bishop's Palace | |
|---|---|
Il-Palazz tal-Isqof | |
 The Bishop's Palace in 2014 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Palace |
| Location | Birgu, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°53′14.1″N 14°31′24.4″E |
| Completed | 16th century |
| Renovated | 17th century |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
The building which later became known as the Bishop's Palace was originally built in around the 16th century.[1] It belonged to the Abela family (ancestors of Giovanni Francesco Abela) until it was purchased by Bishop Domenico Cubelles in 1542. Apart from being a residence for the Bishop, the building also housed the Curia and an ecclesiastical tribunal.[2] A prison where detainees awaiting trial or serving sentences handed out by the Bishop's court was also located in an adjacent annex.[1]
After Valletta replaced Birgu as Malta's capital city in the 1570s, the Curia initially remained in the Birgu palace[2] as Malta's Hospitaller rulers were against moving the Bishop's seat to the new city.[3] The palace was modified by Baldassare Cagliares who was Bishop from 1615 to 1633, but during his episcopate he also constructed a new Bishop's Palace in Valletta and the Curia finally moved out of Birgu.[2] Cagliares was therefore the last Bishop who resided within the Birgu palace.[1]
The building remained property of the Curia and it was sometimes used by later Bishops during pastoral visits.[1] It was further enlarged later on in the 17th century during the episcopate of Bishop Miguel Juan Balaguer.[2] At some points it was rented out as a tenement, and for some time it housed a children's school until falling into disuse by the early 21st century.[1]
The building is now listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[2]
The building's façade has a distinctive 16th century style, and it is believed to retain its original configuration.[1]
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