Валеттадағы Арагон Аubergeсінің тарихы

the auberge in Valletta

The Auberge d'Aragon is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was built in 1571 to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Aragon, Navarre and Catalonia. It is the only surviving auberge in Valletta which retains its original Mannerist design by the architect Girolamo Cassar. In the early 19th century, the building was requisitioned by the British military, and in 1842 it was leased to Bishop George Tomlinson, being renamed Gibraltar House. At this point, a neoclassical portico was added to the façade, by then the major addition to the exterior since the 16th century. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the auberge was also used as a printing press and a school. It was converted in a hospital during World War II. It housed the Office of the Prime Minister in 1921–33 and 1947–72. It has since housed various government ministries. Since 2020 it houses the Ministry for Justice.

Auberge d'Aragon was designed by the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar in 1566, making it the oldest auberge in the city of Valletta. The plot of land on which it was built was purchased on 20 September 1569 for the sum of 80 scudi and 8 tari. Construction began in 1571. The Auberge has a large underground which was originally used for horses. A water system was installed at some point, possibly after the construction of the Wignacourt Aqueduct. In the 18th century the underground was converted and used as an oven. This part of the Auberge was later buried, probably sometimes in the British period. In the late 1830s, the building was the residence of the Chief Secretary to Government. In 1842, the auberge was leased to George Tomlinson, the Anglican Bishop of Gibraltar, and the building was known as Gibraltar House. After Malta was granted self government in 1921, the auberge was converted into a school. In 1924, upon Ugo Pasquale Mifsud's election as Prime Minister of Malta, the building became the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). In 1931, there were plans to move the parliament from the Grandmaster's Palace into the auberge, but nothing materialized. The building continued to house the OPM until the office was abolished upon the suspension of the constitution in 1933. In 1939, the auberge was given to the British Institute. A new constitution was granted in 1947, restoring self government and reestablishing the position of Prime Minister. At this point the British Institute moved to nearby Casa Bolino. The islands became independent as the State of Malta in 1964, and the independence was drafted on a table which still remains in the auberge today. as well as the Parliamentary Secretary for the EU Presidency 2017 and EU Funds. From 2017 to 2020, the auberge housed the Ministry for European Affairs and Equality. Since 2020, the auberge has been the Ministry for Justice. During restoration works carried out in 2019, an early 18th century bakery oven, some wells and water canals were discovered buried under debris in an underground part of the auberge. The building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925 together with the other auberges in Valletta. It 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 d'Aragon is built in the Mannerist style typical of its architect Girolamo Cassar, and it is the only auberge in Valletta which still retains its original design. The building does not have a symmetric façade, despite the effort of the architect to make it appear so. Some traces of the paint can still be seen at the rear part of the auberge.