Historic lodge architecture
Introduction
The Hostel of Castile (English: Auberge de Castille, Maltese: Berġa ta' Kastilja) is a building on the corner of Triq il-Merkanti, in Valletta, Malta. It was designed by Gerolamo Cassar and built in the 1570s to house the knights of the Order of Saint John of the Language "Lengua (Order of Malta)") of Castile, León and Portugal. The current building dates back to the 1740s, when it was completely rebuilt during the magistracy of Manuel Pinto da Fonseca. The new hostel was built in the Baroque style and is considered "probably the best building in Malta." It currently houses the office of the Prime Minister of Malta.
The hostel is located on Castille Place, close to Saint James Cavalier, the Malta Stock Exchange and Upper Barrakka Gardens. It is at the highest point in Valletta and overlooks Floriana and the Grand Harbor area.
The name Castille (Castille in English or Kastilja in Maltese) is often used metonymically to refer to the Prime Minister and his office, in a similar sense to that of the White House to refer to the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
History
Domain of the Knights Hospitaller
The Albergue de Castilla was originally built in 1573-1574 according to a project by architect Girolamo Cassar. of the century and a drawing from the beginning of the 18th century.[2][3].
The original Castile hostel was dismantled and completely rebuilt in Spanish Baroque style between 1741 and 1744, during the reign of Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca. The new building was built according to the designs of Andrea Belli"), and its construction was supervised by capomastro Domenico Cachia").[1] Some alterations, including the extension of the main door, were made in 1791.[4].
French occupation and British rule
The Order of Saint John was expelled from Malta with the French invasion and occupation "Squatter of Malta (1798)") in 1798. The hostel became the headquarters of the French forces and later housed a Commission of National Assets.[4] The building suffered some damage during the blockade of 1798-1800 "Siege of Malta (1798-1800)").