Verdala Palace Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Verdala Palace
Il-Palazz Verdala
View of Verdala Palace
Alternative names	Verdala Castle
General information
Status	Intact
Type	Palace
Architectural style	Renaissance
Location	Buskett Gardens, Siġġiewi, Malta
Coordinates	35°51′41.4″N 14°24′2.3″E / 35.861500°N 14.400639°E / 35.861500; 14.400639
Current tenants	President of Malta
Named for	Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle
Construction started	after 1581
Completed	1586
Renovated	17th century and 1720s
Owner	Government of Malta
Technical details
Material	Limestone
Design and construction
Architect	Girolamo Cassar

Verdala Palace is a beautiful palace located in the Buskett Gardens in Siġġiewi, Malta. It was built a long time ago, in 1586, when Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle was in charge. Today, it is the official summer home for the President of Malta.

Discovering Verdala Palace's Past
Exploring the Palace's Architecture
- Design and Features
The Blue Lady Ghost Story
Gallery
See also

Discovering Verdala Palace's Past

The land where Verdala Palace stands used to have a smaller building. This was a hunting lodge built around the 1550s or 1560s. It was made for Jean Parisot de la Valette, a very important leader called a Grand Master. The lodge was in the Boschetto, a large area where knights of the Order of Saint John loved to hunt.

How the Palace Grew

The hunting lodge became a much bigger palace in 1586. This happened when Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle was the Grand Master. The palace was made even more beautiful in the 1600s and 1700s. Important leaders like Giovanni Paolo Lascaris and António Manoel de Vilhena added many fancy touches.

Verdala Palace Through the Years

During a time when the French were blocked in Malta (1798–1800), the palace was used as a prison. French soldiers who were captured were kept there. Later, when the British ruled Malta, the palace became a silk factory. But after a while, it was left empty and started to fall apart.

Some repairs were done when Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby was governor. Then, Governor Sir William Reid fully fixed it up in the 1850s. Before it was fully restored, it was even a small hospital for a short time between 1915 and 1916. After its restoration, it became the summer home for the Governors of Malta.

When World War II started in 1939, valuable artworks from the National Museum were kept safe at the palace. The palace was fixed again in 1982. After that, it started to welcome important leaders from other countries.

Famous Visitors to the Palace

Many important people have visited Verdala Palace over the years. These guests include:

Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark, who were the King and Queen of the United Kingdom.
Maria Feodorovna, the Empress of Russia, visited in 1909.
George V and Mary of Teck, another King and Queen of the United Kingdom, came in 1912.
George VI, who was King of the United Kingdom, visited in 1913 and 1943.
Wilhelm II, the Emperor of Germany, came in 1919.
Josip Broz Tito, the President of Yugoslavia.
Nicolae Ceaușescu, the President of Romania.
Giovanni Leone, the President of Italy.

Since 1987, Verdala Palace has been the summer home of the President of Malta. It is usually closed to the public. However, once a year, there is a special event called the August Moon Ball. This event helps raise money for the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Exploring the Palace's Architecture

A view of the impressive Verdala Palace.

Verdala Palace was designed by Girolamo Cassar. He was a Maltese architect famous for creating many buildings in Malta's capital city, Valletta. The palace is a great example of Renaissance architecture. Its design might have been inspired by a famous Italian villa called Villa Farnese in Caprarola.

Design and Features

The palace has a rectangular shape. It has five-sided towers, like small forts, at each corner. The main building has two floors, but the corner towers are much taller, about five stories high. A stone ditch surrounds the entire palace. Even though the towers and ditch make it look like a fort, they were mostly for show. The palace was not really built to fight off attacks. Still, it did have four cannons on its roof! Inside, the palace is very fancy, with beautiful paintings on some of the ceilings.

Close to the palace, you can find a small chapel, stables for horses, and rooms for servants.

The Blue Lady Ghost Story

People say that Verdala Palace has a ghost! She is known as the "Blue Lady." She was the niece of a Grand Master named de Rohan. The story says she accidentally fell from a window and died. Her ghost is reportedly seen walking around the palace. She is said to wear the same blue dress she had on when she died, which was her wedding dress.