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Hunting lodge, Palace in Gudja, Malta From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Palazzo Dorell[2] (French: Palais d'Aurel[3]), also known as Bettina Palace,[4][a] is a 17th-century Palladian[1] palace located in Gudja, Malta.[9][10]
| Palazzo Dorell | |
|---|---|
Front façade of Palazzo Dorell | |
  Location within Malta | |
| Former names | Bettina Palace, Villa Dorell, Villa Bettina, Palais d'Aurelle |
| General information | |
| Status | Intact |
| Type | Hunting lodge Palace |
| Architectural style | Palladian architecture[1] |
| Location | Gudja, Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°51′2.27″N 14°30′25.29″E |
| Named for | Pietro Paolo Dorell Falzon |
| Completed | 1670 |
| Owner | Gino, Baron di San Marco |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Floor count | 2 |
The property was built during the Order of St. John by Count Ignatius Francesco Moscati Falsoni Navarra as a family home and country residence in 1670.[11][12] The palace was bought in 1760 by Pietro Paolo Falzon d'Aurelle (English: Dorell) Falzon,[13][1] and is interchangeably named for him and his daughter Marchesa[14] Lady Elisabetta Testaferrata Dorell.[15][16]
The palace served as the headquarters for the British forces, under General Graham, during the French blockade (1798–1800).[2]
The interior of the building has some of the ceiling covered in frescoes which were painted by Antonio Grech (1758-1819), known as "Naici" (Antonaci).[17]
It was the last building used by the British, with the consent of the owners, before having to leave Malta in 1979 on Freedom Day.[18]
Since the 19th century the place has become limitedly open to the public with special permission of the owners, starting from the Patron Lorenzo Galea.[19]
The Xlejli Tower and a chapel are located inside the walled private gardens of the property.[20][3] In the garden is also a small cemetery where British armymen who died during the French occupation of Malta are buried.[21] The garden is considerably large compared to other general houses. It has a French style.[22][23]
Today the palace is a private residence and is not open to the public.
The palace is scheduled as a grade 1 scheduled property by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) and listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI).[2]
The aristocratic French family d'Aurelle had other notable properties in Malta. The palace should not be confused with Palazzo Bettina[24][25][26] in Birgu, nor Casa Dorell in Valletta;[27] which both belonged to the same family once.[28]
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