Malta 28 Valletta Grandmaster’s Palace

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28
Malta
Valletta, The Grandmaster's Palace
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The Grandmasters Palace (officially referred to
as The Palace) is located in Valletta. It
currently houses the Office of the President of
Malta as well as being a heritage site run by
Heritage Malta. Up to April 2015 it also housed
the House of the Representatives until Parliament
moved in May 2015 to its first purposely built
building at the Valletta Entrance
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Valletta St George's Square, also known as Palace
Square
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The original building was the house of Eustachio
del Monte, a nephew of Grandmaster Jean de la
Vallette, founder of the city. All adjacent
buildings were purchased by Grandmaster Pietro
del Monte and Girolamo Cassar was commissioned to
design a palace. The Palace was erected between
1571 and 1580. Over the years, the Palace was
enlarged and developed by successive Grandmasters
to serve as their official residence
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Long closed timber balconies wrap around the
corners of the main façade
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During the British period The Grandmasters
Palace served as the Governors Palace
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The portals and the balconies were added to the
building in the 18th century
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The palace is built around two courtyards, one of
which is dominated by a statue of Neptune. The
entrance to the state rooms is in the Neptune
Courtyard via a spiral staircase. The ceiling of
this entrance was painted by Nicolau Nasoni in
1724
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The clock tower in Prince Alfred's Courtyard The
clock was commissioned in 1745 by Grandmaster
Manuel Pinto de Fonseca and its mechanism is the
work of renowned Maltese clockmaker Gaetano
Vella. The upper turret features four bronze
figures, known as jacquemarts which symbolise
Turkish slaves striking the clock bells. The
clock has four faces. The middle one shows the
hour and the others show the month, day and lunar
phase.
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Neptune's Courtyard
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Neptune's Courtyard
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Neptune's Courtyard
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In 1861 the statue of Neptune was moved to
Neptune's Courtyard from the fish market
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Statue of Neptune with the coat of arm of
Grandmaster Perollo, attributed to Giambologna
(1615)
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Neptune's Courtyard
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The long Armoury Corridor, decorated with trompe
loeil painting, scenes of naval battles, blue
colours and the portraits and escutcheons of
various Grand Masters, leads to the state chambers
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Fresco on the ceiling of The Armoury Corridor
Grandmaster's Palace
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The ceilings of the main corridors were decorated
with frescoes by Nicolau Nasoniin 1724, during
the magistracy of António Manoel de Vilhena
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Grand Master Nicolas Coroner showing the new
fortifications of Bormla
Portrait of Grand Master Gregorio  Caraffa
Unknown artist, 17th century
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Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena (17221736)
 
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Fra' Jean Parisot de Valette (1495- 1568) was a
French nobleman and 49th Grand Master of
the Order of Malta, from 21 August 1557 to his
death in 1568. The foundation stone of Valletta
was laid by Grandmaster La Valette in the year
1566
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The Pages' Room (Yellow State Room)
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Conquest of Damietta (Fifth Crusade in 1220),
fresco by Leonello Spada in the Pages Room
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The Pages' Room (Yellow State Room)
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The Pages' Room (Yellow State Room)
In the 18th-century, traveller Patrick Brydone
noted 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
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The State Dining Room
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Queen Elisabeth II in the State Dining Room
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The State Dining Room
The House of Representatives made its last
meeting in this House on 1 April 2015.
Parliament moved to the New Parliament building
on 4 May 2015
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The Hall of the Ambassadors, or Red State Room,
where the Grand Master received important
visitors, and where the Maltese president still
receives foreign envoys. It contains portraits of
the French kings Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis
XVI, the Russian empress Catherine the Great, and
several Grand Masters
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Inside is the famous Council Chamber, decorated
with priceless Gobelins tapestries featuring
tropical scenes set in South America, the
Caribbean, India and Africa woven in France
especially for Grand Master Ramón Perellos y
Roccaf. Despite being almost 300 years old, these
tapestries are still very well preserved
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Originally known as the Supreme Council Hall
(Sala del Maggior Consiglio) the Throne Room 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
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The Throne Room, originally known as the Supreme
Council Hall
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During 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 dAleccio
and represent various episodes of the Great Siege
of Malta. The coat-of-arms of Grandmaster Jean de
Vallette on the wall recess behind the minstrels
gallery was painted by Giuseppe Calì
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The minstrels gallery is thought to have been
relocated to this hall from the palace chapel
which was probably its original location. The
minstrels gallery bears paintings showing scenes
from the Book of Genesis
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Of particular interest is the original coffered
ceiling and the late 18th century-style
chandeliers
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Text Internet Pictures Sanda Foisoreanu
Gabriela Cristescu
Internet All copyrights belong to
their respective owners Presentation Sanda
Foisoreanu
2017
Sound Mary Spiteri - Haddemien