Auberge de Provence - Vallette, Malta - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

"Auberge de Provence (Maltese: Berga ta' Provenza) is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was built in the sixteenth century to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Provence. It now houses the National Museum of Archaeology.

Auberge de Provence started being built between 1571 and 1574 under the direction of the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar. Prior to its construction, the Langue of Provence had been housed in the Auberge d'Auvergne et Provence in Birgu.

The first auberge was built in an Italianate style, with the building surrounding three sides of a yard and garden, and with an open loggiato (covered exterior gallery) and passegiatoia (open balcony) around the courtyard connecting all the wings of the building. The ceremonial halls and common rooms overlooked Strada San Giorgio (now Republic Street) while the habitation quarters of the new Knights overlooked Strada Pia (now Melita Street). The wing overlooking Strada Carri (now Cart Street) housed the quarters of the Bailiff who was in charge of the Langue. The building was furnished with a kitchen, oven, slaughter house and stables. In 1584, the Langue decided to build a first floor above the existing auberge.

By the 1630s, the Langue of Provence had decided to reconstruct the auberge and works were on course to demolish parts of the building. The old façade was to make way for a new one which included spaces for shopfronts, as was the trend in the Baroque Period. The creation of new commercial spaces coincided with a period in which the Order was striving to commercialise public spaces and create revenue streams.

During this time, the garden of the auberge was reduced in size with the sale to third parties of the two plots on Strait Street. The architect behind the project and the design of the new façade was Captain Antonio Garsin.[2] The design of the new façade was a clear proponent of the French classical style. The creation of street-level shop fronts also changed the dynamics of the use of the building. The common areas and halls used by the Knights where now relocated to the first and second floor of the building. It was also during this period that the Gran Salon took shape.

By 1788, in the context of the financial turmoil caused by the French Revolution, the Langue had to sell the surviving stretch of garden accessible from Strait Street to generate some revenue. The architect chosen to undertake this project was Stefano Ittar. With the arrival of the French in 1798, the building's function as an Auberge came to an end. The building was converted by the occupying French into apartments for the officers of the “reggimento dei cacciatori” and their families."

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Group that erected the marker: Concilio de la Valletta URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Republic St, Valletta, Malta Valletta, Malta

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