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Saint James Cavalier

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Saint James Cavalier ( Maltese : Kavallier ta' San Ġakbu ) is a 16th-century cavalier in Valletta , Malta , which was built by the Order of St John . It overlooks St James' Bastion, a large obtuse-angled bastion forming part of the Valletta Land Front . St James was one of nine planned cavaliers in the city, although eventually only two were built, the other one being the identical Saint John's Cavalier . It was designed by the Italian military engineer Francesco Laparelli , while its construction was overseen by his Maltese assistant Girolamo Cassar . St James Cavalier never saw use in any military conflict, but it played a role during the Rising of the Priests in 1775.

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57-688: The cavalier is located in Castille Square, close to Auberge de Castille , the Central Bank of Malta , the Parliament House , the Malta Stock Exchange and the post office at Dar Annona. The cavalier was restored as part of Malta's Millennium Project. It is now a cultural centre known as Spazju Kreattiv ( Maltese for Creative Space ). Following the Great Siege of Malta of 1565, in which

114-480: A small theatre, a cinema, music rooms and art galleries. Since it was opened it has welcomed over a million visitors. In August 2015, the cavalier was re-branded as Spazju Kreattiv ( Maltese for Creative Space ). Its artistic director is Toni Sant . Various exhibitions and other cultural events are regularly held there including a yearly festival by the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology . The cavalier

171-602: Is 16th century and anything that looks contemporary is contemporary. The national heritage organization Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna did protest against the removal of a rare World War Two gas shelter and other historical remains from the British period. This theme is particularly obvious on the ground floor. In the Music Room, the British-installed ceiling has been removed, and the room restored to its original state. The gift shop, on

228-682: Is a palace in Valletta , Malta . It was built between the 16th and 18th centuries as the palace of the Grand Master of the Order of St. John , who ruled Malta from 1530 to 1798, and was also known as the Magisterial Palace ( Maltese : Palazz Maġisterjali ). When the knights were expelled by Napoleonic France, it became the National Palace. During the period of British rule beginning in 1800, it

285-698: Is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands . The main façade of the Grandmaster's Palace is built in the simple and austere Mannerist style, typical of its architect Cassar. The façade is asymmetrical due to the extensive alterations carried out to the building over the centuries, and it has heavy rustications at the corners along with an uninterrupted cornice at roof level. There are two main entrances on

342-596: Is linked to Auberge d'Italie across Merchants Street through a World War II-era underground air-raid shelter . Auberge de Castille was depicted on two commemorative coins minted in 2008 by the Central Bank of Malta . The coins show the auberge's portico on the reverse and the coat of arms of Malta on the obverse. [REDACTED] Media related to Auberge de Castille (Valletta) at Wikimedia Commons Grandmaster%27s Palace (Valletta) The Grandmaster's Palace ( Maltese : Il-Palazz tal-Granmastru ), officially known as The Palace ( Maltese : Il-Palazz ),

399-511: Is now scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority , and it is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands . Auberge de Castille is built in the Baroque style, and it is a two-storey building with a rectangular plan and a central courtyard . Its façade is divided into eleven bays defined by pilasters in

456-405: Is scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument, and it is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands . St James Cavalier is a large casemated artillery platform having a pentagonal plan. The structure was not designed with aesthetics in mind, highlighting its purely utilitarian military function. Despite the impression of size given by the external aspect of

513-586: The Auberge de Castille et Portugal , is an auberge in Valletta , Malta . The auberge is located at Castile Place, close to Saint James Cavalier , the Malta Stock Exchange , and the Upper Barrakka Gardens . It sits at the highest point of Valletta and overlooks Floriana and the Grand Harbour area. Built in the Baroque style under the magistracy of Portuguese Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca in

570-664: The British administration it became known as the Hall of Saint Michael and Saint George after the Order of St Michael and St George which was founded in 1818 in Malta and the Ionian Islands . It is currently used for state functions held by the President of Malta . The cycle of wall paintings decorating the upper part of the hall are the work Matteo Perez d'Aleccio and represent various episodes of

627-455: The Great Siege of Malta in 1565. The original hall of the armoury was converted into the meeting place of the Parliament of Malta in 1975–76, and the arms collection was relocated to two former stables at the palace's ground floor, where it remains today. The armoury has been open to the public as a museum since 1860. Part of the restoration works currently underway include the relocation of

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684-447: The Great Siege of Malta . The coat-of-arms of Grand Master Jean de Valette on the wall recess behind the minstrels gallery was painted by Giuseppe Calì . In 1818, the British transformed this hall by completely covering the walls with neo-classical architectural features designed by Lieutenant-Colonel George Whitmore. These were removed in the early 20th century. The minstrel's gallery is thought to have been relocated to this hall from

741-480: The Ottoman Empire unsuccessfully attempted to capture Malta, the Order of St John decided to settle permanently on the island. The Order decided to build a new fortified city as their new capital, and it was called Valletta after Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette . In order to do this, De Valette asked for financial aid from various European rulers. Pope Pius V not only helped out financially, but also sent

798-753: The blockade of 1798–1800 . In 1800, the British occupied Malta, creating the Malta Protectorate in September of that year. This protectorate was officially ruled by the Kingdom of Sicily , but was in reality part of the British Empire . In 1805, the auberge became the headquarters of the British Armed Forces in Malta. In 1813, Malta officially came under British rule as the Crown Colony of Malta within

855-460: The 1740s, it replaced a 1574 building erected to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Castile , León and Portugal . Auberge de Castille was built in 1573–74 to designs of the architect Girolamo Cassar . The original auberge, which took over the role of an earlier Auberge de Castille et Portugal in the former capital Birgu , was built in the Mannerist style, and it

912-523: The British Empire. The auberge was then also used as a residence for British officers. In 1814, a group of crippled soldiers from the army of Egypt was accommodated in the auberge. A Protestant chapel was opened on the first floor in 1840. A signalling station with a large aerial was installed on the roof in 1889 to liaise with warships of the Mediterranean Fleet moored in the Grand Harbour . It

969-812: The General Headquarters of the Army for Malta and Libya , and also for Cyprus after 1954. Malta became an independent country as the State of Malta , with Queen Elizabeth II reigning as Queen of Malta , in September 1964. The country became a republic, as the Republic of Malta, in December 1974. On 4 March 1972, the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta moved from Auberge d'Aragon to Auberge de Castille. The Prime Minister leads

1026-517: The Italian military engineer Francesco Laparelli to Malta to design the new capital's fortifications. Construction of the city began in March 1566, and work continued throughout the 1570s. Following Laparelli's departure from Malta and his subsequent death, construction of the city was entrusted to his Maltese assistant, the architect and military engineer Girolamo Cassar . St James Cavalier, in its early years,

1083-583: The Priests . The Order's flag was lowered and a banner of Saint Paul raised instead. Fort Saint Elmo was also taken over by the rebels, but the Order managed to retake it after a brief exchange of fire. Soon after the fort was taken, the rebels at St James surrendered. Three of them were executed, while the rest were exiled or imprisoned. The heads of the three executed men were displayed on the corners of St James Cavalier, but were removed soon after Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc

1140-628: The Tapestry Hall from 1921 to 1976, when it moved to the former armoury. The House of Representatives moved out of the Grandmaster's Palace to the purpose-built Parliament House on 4 May 2015. During Malta's first presidency of the European Union in 2017 the former parliamentary meeting hall was used to host the meetings of the Council of the European Union . Following Malta's independence in 1964,

1197-577: The building became known as the Palais National (National Palace). The name was a reflection of the French ideas resulting from the revolution and part of the whole reformed establishment in Malta. The Grandmaster's Palace became the official residence of the governor of Malta after Malta fell under British rule in 1800, and it therefore became known as the Governor's Palace. During the British protectorate,

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1254-639: The building became the seat of the Governor-General of Malta . It has housed the Office of the President of Malta since the office was established in 1974. Parts of the building, namely the Palace State Rooms and the Palace Armoury , are open to the public as a museum run by Heritage Malta . The palace was included on the Antiquities List of 1925. It is now a Grade 1 national monument, and it

1311-769: The building was also used as a bomb shelter, while its upper floor became a food store for the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes . In the 1970s, the Government Printing Press moved from the Grandmaster's Palace to St James, and it remained there until new premises at Marsa Industrial Estate were opened in 1996. In the 1990s, the Government of Malta commissioned a Master Plan for the rehabilitation of Valletta and its outskirts. The project included restoring St James Cavalier and converting it for cultural purposes. The restoration

1368-540: The building, half of the structure was filled with compressed earth and the rest consisted of a series of sparse chambers and a ramp by which cannons could reach the roof. The cavalier occupies the rear face of St James' Bastion, and it was meant to be able to fire over the bastion's main parapet, without interfering with its fire. A number of gunpowder magazines are located to the rear of the structure. Auberge de Castille The Auberge de Castille ( Maltese : Berġa ta' Kastilja ), historically in full known as

1425-583: The business of the government from the auberge, and the name Castille (or Kastilja in Maltese) is often used as a metonym to refer to the Prime Minister and his office. Over the years, some of the stonework began to crumble and the façades were blackened. The building was restored between 2009 and 2014. The building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925 together with the other auberges in Valletta. It

1482-458: The bust is surmounted by Pinto's coat of arms. The centrepiece above the window bears the coats of arms of Castile and León and of Portugal . Just in front of the entrance are two historic canons, now used for decoration. The auberge has been called "probably the finest building in Malta". Both the exterior and the interior, especially the ornate façade and the steps leading to the doorway, were designed to be imposing. Auberge de Castille

1539-505: The cavalier until around 1800, when they began to be fired from the nearby Saluting Battery . In 1686, during the magistracy of Gregorio Carafa , a small building known as Dar Annona was grafted on the east flank of the cavalier. The building originally housed the Università dei Grani, and is now a post office. On 8 September 1775, St James Cavalier was captured by rebels during the Rising of

1596-401: The central bays or plain panelling in the outer bays. Ornate windows are set within recessed panels. The building has a continuous cornice , and its corners are rusticated . The main entrance is approached by a flight of steps, and the doorway is flanked by columns which support a trophy of arms and a bronze bust of Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca . A moulded window located above

1653-511: The city. Its façade is located opposite the Main Guard in St. George's Square ( Maltese : Misraħ San Ġorġ ) along Republic Street ( Maltese : Triq ir-Repubblika ). The palace is also bounded by Archbishop Street ( Maltese : Triq l-Arċisqof ), Old Theatre Street ( Maltese : Triq it-Teatru l-Antik ) and Merchants Street ( Maltese : Triq il-Merkanti ). When the Order of St. John established

1710-489: The courtyard "for their better preservation", as indicated by a marble slab below the coats of arms. Prince Alfred's Courtyard contains a clock tower, which includes the Moors Clock as well as three other dials. The clock was designed by Gaetano Vella and it was inaugurated on 11 June 1745, being modified by Michelangelo Sapiano in 1894. Local tradition states that the clock is much older, having been brought from Rhodes at

1767-622: The embellishment of the façade, the opening of a second main entrance, and the construction of a clock tower in one of the courtyards. In the 1770s, the traveller Patrick Brydone wrote that: the Grand Master (who studies conveniency more than magnificence) is more comfortably and commodiously, lodged than any prince in Europe, the King of Sardenia perhaps only excepted During the French occupation of Malta ,

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1824-475: The façade, and they each consist of an arched doorway surrounded by an ornate portal which supports an open balcony. Long closed timber balconies wrap around the corners of the main façade. Both the portals and the balconies were added to the building in the 18th century. The side façade in Old Theatre Street contains a secondary main entrance which leads to one of the courtyards. The building's exterior

1881-496: The ground floor room, therefore creating two stories where there had been only one. Changes were also made to help combat humidity. Later on, two cisterns were excavated within the cavalier to store water pumped to Valletta via the Wignacourt Aqueduct . The cavalier stored water for the entire city. In 1853, a proposal was made to demolish the cavalier to make way for a hospital, but nothing materialized. In World War II ,

1938-499: The kitchen of the palace which served the Grand Master was converted into an Anglican chapel. A semaphore station was installed on the palace's belvedere in the 1840s. Parts of the building, including the hall housing the Palace Armoury , were hit by aerial bombardment during World War II , but the damage was subsequently repaired. The Grandmaster's Palace was the seat of the Parliament of Malta from 1921 to 2015. Parliament met in

1995-584: The middle. The statue was brought to decorate the courtyard, on orders of the British Governor John Gaspard Le Marchant , some time between 1858 and 1864. Some escutcheons containing the coats of arms of Grand Masters of the Order are found affixed to the wall of one of the corridors of Neptune's Courtyard. These formerly adorned some of the Order's buildings, but they were removed in the 19th century. They were retrieved by Governor Sir Arthur Lyon Fremantle in 1897, and were affixed to

2052-402: The new city of Valletta in 1566, the original intention was to build the palace of the Grand Master on high ground in the southern part of the city (on or near the site later occupied by Auberge de Castille ). In fact, present-day South Street ( Maltese : Triq in-Nofsinhar ) was originally known as Strada del Palazzo , since the palace was meant to be built there. The site of the palace

2109-479: The other hand, is split. In other halls partial removal of the ceiling has allowed both periods to be represented in this modern interpretation of a deeply historical building. Restoration of the cavalier was complete by the end of summer 2000, and it opened to the public as St James Cavalier, Centre for Creativity on 22 September of that year, with an exhibition entitled Art in Malta Today . The cavalier now houses

2166-460: The other into the atrium. A stunning, unifying space which provides access to the upper galleries. the design nonetheless incorporate glass panels and a marvelous awareness of space that allows the visitor to read the historical narrative told by the wells. The work was carried out in collaboration with the restoration expert Michael Ellul. With and emphasis that firmly discouraged the use of replica and imitation. Hence anything that looks 16th century

2223-507: The palace armoury back to its original location. The palace is built around two courtyards, which are now known as Neptune's Courtyard and Prince Alfred's Courtyard. In 1712 Romano Carapecchia designed the Perellos fountain , originally dominating the courtyard under the loggias, but since the British period became hidden from the main view with the Statue of Neptune and a garden landscape in

2280-608: The palace chapel which was probably its original location. Of particular interest is the original coffered ceiling and the late 18th century-style chandeliers. The other state rooms are the Tapestry Hall ( Maltese : Is-Sala tal-Arazzi ), the State Dining Hall ( Maltese : Is-Sala tal-Pranzu ), the Ambassador's Room ( Maltese : Is-Sala tal-Ambaxxaturi ) and the Page's Waiting Room ( Maltese : Is-Sala tal-Paġġi ). A large hall at

2337-508: The rear of the palace was used as an armoury from 1604 onwards. The arms collection in the Palace Armoury is regarded as one of "the most valuable historic monuments of European culture", despite retaining only a fraction of its original size. The armoury includes many suits of armour, cannons, firearms, swords, and other weapons, including the personal armour of some Grand Masters such as Alof de Wignacourt , and Ottoman weapons captured during

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2394-471: The rest of the area around the city's entrance. One of the biggest challenges that Prof. England faced was that of increasing accessibility in a building created to repel invaders. This necessitated major structural intervention and very difficult decisions about which areas should, and must, undergo such drastic intervention. This task was carried off with great aplomb in the conversion of the two water cisterns, one into St James' spectacular theatre space and

2451-477: The time of the Order's arrival in Malta in 1530. The palace is allegedly haunted by a number of ghosts. According to an English lady who stayed at the palace while it was the residence of the British Governor, she used to hear sounds of cats and dogs fighting in one of the rooms, but she saw nothing once she entered the room. One time, the ghost manifested itself in the form of a large cat, which jumped through

2508-457: The work was the cause of much controversy and was deemed unsatisfactory by many Maltese, partly resulting in the halting of other planned projects in Valletta and the decision to use celebrated architects (including Renzo Piano ) rather than Richard England. The other projects started in 2008 when works commenced on the City Gate , the site of the former opera house , the new parliament building and

2565-414: Was also the seat of the Parliament of Malta from 1921 to 2015. Parts of the building, namely the Palace State Rooms and the Palace Armoury are open to the public as a museum run by Heritage Malta . The building undertook a major restoration project which was then inaugurated on 12 January 2024. The Grandmaster's Palace occupies a city block in the centre of Valletta , and it is the largest palace in

2622-453: Was built to designs of Andrea Belli , and construction was supervised by capomastro Domenico Cachia . Some alterations, including the enlargement of the main door, were made in 1791. The Order of St. John was expelled from Malta with the French invasion and occupation in 1798. The auberge subsequently became a headquarters for the French forces, and later housed a Commission for National Property. The building suffered some damage during

2679-472: Was elected Grand Master in November of the same year. After taking control of Malta in the beginning of the 19th century, the British converted the cavalier into an officers' mess, a place where soldiers could socialize. Some modifications were made to the structure at this point, including replacing the ramp leading to the roof by a staircase, and increasing the number of rooms by building an arched ceiling within

2736-451: Was his nephew. The Council of the Order subsequently purchased the house, and in 1574 it began to be enlarged into a palace for the Grand Master. By this time, del Monte had died and he was succeeded as Grand Master by Jean de la Cassière . The Italian langue moved to a new auberge in 1579, and the original auberge was also incorporated into the palace. The Grandmaster's Palace was built to Mannerist designs of Glormo Cassar. The palace

2793-574: Was known as the Castille Tower. The then Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II , worked with the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen Families Association (SSAFA) when it was housed at Auberge de Castile. In 1942, during the Second World War , the right side of the building was damaged by aerial bombardment. The damaged parts were later repaired, and the aerial removed. The auberge was also used as

2850-446: Was later built. As well as prohibiting entry, St James could also threaten those who had already breached the city's defences. It was linked to Saint John's Cavalier by a now-blocked underground passageway. The cavalier was also used as a gun signalling station. Three rounds were fired every day, at sunrise, noon and sunset. The former and the latter marked the opening and closing of the city gates. Gun signals continued to be fired from

2907-416: Was modified and embellished by subsequent Grand Masters, which gave the building a Baroque character. The ceilings of the main corridors were decorated with frescoes by Nicolau Nasoni in 1724, during the magistracy of António Manoel de Vilhena . In the 1740s, Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca made extensive alterations to the building and gave it its present configuration. Pinto's renovations included

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2964-557: Was often known as the Tower of the Cavalier , Cavalier Tower or the variants. St James Cavalier was one of the first buildings to be built in Valletta, along with the Church of Our Lady of Victories and the rest of the fortifications. The cavalier was built as a raised platform on which guns were placed to defend the city against attacks from the landward side, in the area where the town of Floriana

3021-482: Was originally occupied by several buildings, including the house of the knight Eustachio del Monte which was built in 1569, and the auberge of the langue of Italy which was built in around 1571. Both of these buildings were built to designs of the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar . In 1571, Grand Master Pierre de Monte moved the Order's headquarters to Valletta, and he lived in the house of Eustachio del Monte, who

3078-504: Was originally painted in red ochre , a colour used by the Order to mark public buildings. The Throne Room ( Maltese : Is-Sala tat-Tron ), originally known as the Grand Council Hall ( Maltese : Is-Sala tal-Gran Kunsill , Italian : Sala del Maggior Consiglio ) was built during the reign of Grandmaster Jean de la Cassière . It was used by successive Grandmasters to host ambassadors and visiting high ranking dignitaries. During

3135-518: Was regarded as Cassar's most innovative design. The auberge had a single storey, and its façade had panelled pilasters dividing it into 11 bays. The design of the auberge is known from a late 17th-century painting and an early 18th-century drawing. The original Auberge de Castille was dismantled and completely rebuilt in the Spanish Baroque style between 1741 and 1744, during the magistracy of Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca . The new building

3192-401: Was the Governor's Palace ( Maltese : Palazz tal-Gvernatur ). The palace became a British royal residence with various governors representing the monarchy and the queen, and with the royal family itself. As an official royal residence it was often used by British sovereigns for major events during their stay in Malta. The Palace currently houses the Office of the President of Malta . It

3249-413: Was undertaken by the Maltese architect Richard England . Throughout the course of renovation, St James has been transformed from an edifice designed to prohibit entry to one which welcomes visitors. England described the task of making this change as "making it possible for the building to accommodate new needs in a way that, while respecting the past, accepts the concept of change, without fear." However,

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