Castellania - Valletta, Malta
Posted by: neoc1
N 35° 53.812 E 014° 30.742
33S E 455993 N 3972619
Castellania, the Knights Law Court, is located at 11-19 Triq il-Merkanti (Merchant's Street). Valletta, Malta.
Waymark Code: WM11KVH
Location: Malta
Date Posted: 11/09/2019
Views: 5
The Castellania, the Knights Law Court, is a the Baroque style limestone building built in 1760 under the Grand Master Emmanuel Pinto to design of the architect Francesco Zerafa, and completed by architect Giuseppe Bonici. It replaced another law court on the same site that was build in 1574.
The central part of the building features an ornate marble entrance one finds the most decorative part with a concentration of decoration mostly made of marble. The upper part of the decoration has two female figures representing justice, on the left side, holding a sword and (once had a set of scales in her left hand), and on the right side a figure representing truth with a mirror in one hand and a snake in the other. Above are angel blowing a horn and a cherub.
Above the portico are a pair of wrought iron balconies that were used to announce to the public major verdicts. Below the balconies is a cartouche with the inscription indicating that this is a place of justice created under Grand Master Emmanuel Pinto. The air is proper and the building was expanded and ornately renovated in 1763.
DEO OPT. MAX.
EMMANUEL PINTO M.M. ET PRINCEPS
HUNC UTRIUSQUE JUSTITIÆ LOCUM
VETUSTATE PROPE LABENTEM,
AD TERROREM POTIUS, QUAM AD POENAM
A FUNDAMENTIS, ÆRE PROPRIO
ANNI FERE SPATIO
RENOVAVIT AUXIT,
ORNAVIT
MDCCLVIII
The building served as a courthouse and prison until the mid-19th century when the building was deemed too small, and the courts were moved to Auberge d'Auvergne. The Castellania was then briefly abandoned before being converted into an exhibition center, a tenant house, and a school. In 1895 the building became the headquarters for the Ministry of Health for Malta.
The Castellaria is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.