Auberge d'Aragon

The Auberge d'Aragon ( mt, Berġa ta' Aragona) 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 have used the building, since 2020 it houses the Ministry for Justice.

History

Hospitaller rule

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. In 1674, the Langue of Aragon built the Church of Our Lady of Pilar adjacent to the auberge. The 1693 Sicily earthquake caused serious damage to the façade and the southeast face of the auberge, but the damage was later repaired. The church was also damaged, and it was rebuilt in a new design, being completed in 1718.

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. Initial studies claim that the oven served as a bakery. The access of the underground was substantially altered after the earthquake and the later erection of nearby buildings. After the rediscovery of the bakery, it was decided to restore it and open it to the public.

French and British periods

The Order of St. John was expelled from Malta with the French invasion and occupation in 1798. Two years later, the Maltese Islands became a British protectorate, and the auberge was requisitioned by the Quartermaster. From 1822 to 1824, the building housed the government printing press. 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. The only major alteration to the auberge, a Doric portico leading to the main doorway, was probably built at this point.

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. From 1933 to 1939 the building was left vacant. In 1939, the auberge was given to the British Institute. It was used as a hospital for British families during WWII known as the Military Families’ Hospital.

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 auberge was once again used as the OPM, with Paul Boffa

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