Dragonara Palace (), also known as Palazzo Dragonara or Villa Dragonara, is a

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

St. Julian's Saint Julian's () is a town in the Eastern Region of Malta. As of 2020, its registered number of inhabitants stands at 13,792. It is situated along the coast, north of the country's capital, Valletta. It is known for tourism-oriented businesse ...

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

. It was built in 1870 as a summer residence for the Scicluna family, and it is now a

casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...

called Dragonara Casino.

Etymology

The palace is named after Dragonara Point, the

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

on which it was built. According to local legend, a

dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

lived in caves near the peninsula whose roars reached the shore. The roaring was probably the sound of the waves breaking the rocks or the howling of the wind. It is believed that the rumours of the dragon were spread by

smuggler Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...

s to discourage people from going to the area.

History

Dragonara Palace former gardens and pathway

The Dragonara Palace was built in 1870 on Dragonara Point, which had been previously occupied by Ta' Għemmuna Battery. The peninsula where it is built was originally known as Għemmuna Point. The palace served as the summer residence of Emmanuele Scicluna, a banker who became a

marquis A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wido ...

in 1875. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, it was temporarily used as an officers'

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

. Later on, the Scicluna family hosted over 100 refugees in the palace during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The palace opened as a

on 15 July 1964, at a time when nearby

Paceville Paceville ( sometimes abbreviated PV) is a district in St Julian's which is the main nightlife hub in Malta, being heavily populated with nightclubs, bars, strip clubs, pubs and restaurants. It is hence also known as 'Malta's Sin City'. Pacev ...

began its transition from a mainly agricultural area to a tourist hub. The Dragonara Casino was the first casino in Malta, and this was a major step in establishing Malta as a tourist destination. In the 1990s, The Westin Dragonara hotel was built on part of the palace's gardens. The casino was privatized in 1999, and the company Dragonara Casino Ltd was set up to run the business for 10 years. The palace was restored in 2008. Two years later, the casino was taken over by Dragonara Gaming Ltd, who have spent over €15 million in renovating the building. It receives about 350,000 patrons annually, making it the most popular casino in Malta. The palace is listed on the

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands The National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) is a heritage register listing the cultural property of Malta. The inventory includes properties such as archaeological sites, fortifications, religious buildings, mon ...

Architecture

Dragonara Palace is built in

neoclassical architecture Neoclassical architecture, sometimes referred to as Classical Revival architecture, is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy, France and Germany. It became one of t ...

, and its colonnades are inspired by those of Villa Portelli and Palazzo Capua. The design of the Dragonara Palace later inspired the colonnades of Palazzo Pescatore, which was built in

St. Paul's Bay Saint Paul's Bay () is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Region. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. As per the 2021 population census, it has also ...

in the late 19th century. The palace's architect is not known, but it is sometimes attributed to Giuseppe Bonavia.

Palace

The palace originally consisted of a colonnaded

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...

with a central

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...

. The Scicluna family leased the property in 1964 to the Kursaal Company Limited when the courtyard was roofed becoming the casino's gaming rooms and the Slots Palace was built at the back, which were designed by

Dom Mintoff Dominic Mintoff ( ; often called ''il-Perit'', "the Architect"; 6 August 1916 – 20 August 2012) was a Maltese socialist politician, architect, and civil engineer who was leader of the Labour Party (Malta), Labour Party from 1949 to 1984 ...

, an architect who eventually became

Prime Minister of Malta The prime minister of Malta () is the head of government, which is the highest official of Malta. The prime minister chairs Cabinet meetings, and selects its ministers to serve in their respective portfolios. The prime minister holds office b ...

. At this stage the Sheraton Hotel was built on the ground of the palace's gardens that was eventually replaced by The Westin Dragonara.

Gardens

When the palace was originally built, it was surrounded by extensive gardens. Part of these were destroyed to make way for The Westin Dragonara hotel and the casino's

parking lot A parking lot or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface. In most jurisdi ...

. The palace's Sunken Garden, which contains a number of fountains and olive trees, is now located within the grounds of The Westin Dragonara.

Art

Main entrance

The main entrance into the palace's gardens consists of an

arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...

with the inscription ''Deus Nobis Haec Otia Fecit'', meaning "God made these leisures for us". It is designated as a Grade 1 property by the

Malta Environment and Planning Authority The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA, ) was the national agency responsible for the environment and planning in Malta. It was established to regulate the environment and planning on the Maltese islands of Malta, Gozo and other small ...

Statue of Neptune

A fountain containing a statue of

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

was located at the entrance of the palace, just after the path leading from the gardens. The statue was built in the 19th century, but it is inspired by an earlier statue of Neptune which is now found in the courtyard of the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta. The fountain and statue are now located inside the palace for their preservation.

Statue of Marquis Scicluna

Since the statue of Neptune was relocated to the palace, a life-sized statue of Marquis Emmanuele Scicluna has been located in its place. The statue was designed by the Italian sculptor Giulio Moschetti,Agius 2014, p. 19. and it was restored in 2014.

Egyptian caryatids

Two Egyptian-style

caryatid A caryatid ( ; ; ) is a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support taking the place of a column or a pillar supporting an entablature on her head. The Greek term ''karyatides'' literally means "maidens of Karyai", an ancient t ...

s are located near the palace's doorway, supporting the building.

Frescoes

Some rooms of the palace contain

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

es painted by Vincenzo Maria Cremona. The fresco in the Yellow Room shows military and floral paraphernalia, as well as a bird holding a garland of roses. The ceiling panels of the Green Room has frescoes showing a personification of industry.Agius 2014, pp. 44–49.

References

Sources

External links

{{commons category, Dragonara Palace
Official website
Palaces in Malta Casinos in Malta Neoclassical architecture in Malta Buildings and structures completed in 1870 St. Julian's, Malta Defunct hospitals in Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands 1870 establishments in Malta