| Auberge d'Auvergne | |
|---|---|
Berġa ta' Alvernja | |
 View of Auberge d'Auvergne and Casa Caccia | |
 Interactive map of Auberge d'Auvergne | |
| General information | |
| Status | Destroyed |
| Type | Auberge |
| Architectural style | Mannerist |
| Location | Valletta,Malta |
| Coordinates | 35°53′53.7″N14°30′44.2″E / 35.898250°N 14.512278°E /35.898250; 14.512278 |
| Construction started | 1571 or 1574 |
| Completed | c. 1583 |
| Renovated | 1783 (enlarged) 1853 (alterations) |
| Destroyed | 30 April 1941 (bombed) 1950s–60s (ruins demolished) |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Girolamo Cassar |
TheAuberge d'Auvergne (Maltese:Berġa ta' Alvernja) was an auberge inValletta,Malta. It was built in the 16th century to house knights of theOrder of Saint John from thelangue ofAuvergne. It became acourthouse in the 19th century, and it remained so until it was destroyed by aerial bombardment in 1941. The site is now occupied by theCourts of Justice building, which was constructed in the 1960s.
Auberge d'Auvergne was located inGreat Siege Square withinStrada San Giorgio (now known as Republic Street), facing the nave ofSt. John's Co-Cathedral. The langue of Auvergne received the authorization to construct the auberge on 8 June 1570, and construction started either in 1571 or 1574. It was completed in around 1583, and the building was constructed to a design of the Maltese architectGirolamo Cassar.[1] Auberge d'Auvergne was enlarged in 1783, when part of an adjacent 16th-century palace called Casa Caccia was incorporated into the building.[2][3] The auberge continued to house the langue of Auvergne until 1798, when the Order left Malta due to theFrench occupation.
In the 19th century it started to be used as for tribunals and court cases, and became at some point it became known as the "Palace of the Courts of Justice".[4] From 1825 onwards, the auberge housed theTribunale di Pirateria and theCorte di Fallimento, while Governor SirHenry Bouverie moved the Civil Courts from theCastellania to Auberge d'Auvergne in 1840.[1][5] The courts of criminal jurisdiction and the office of Police were also moved to the auberge in 1853, and a number of alterations were made to the building under the direction of Superintendent of Government Works William Lamb Arrowsmith.[5][6] In 1886 an earthquake caused significant damage to the building, rendering it partially unsafe.[7]
The ground floor of the building was occupied by a number of shops, and in the early 20th century part of it housed the Alhambra Cinema.[8] The building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925 together with the other auberges in Valletta.[9] On 23 May 1930, an assassination attempt occurred in the auberge, when Ġanni Miller fired three shots at Prime MinisterLord Strickland.[10]
On 30 April 1941, duringWorld War II, the auberge and the adjacent Casa Caccia were hit by a Germanparachute mine, and they were severely damaged.[2] The law courts subsequently moved to another location outside Valletta, inBalzan at Palazzo Testaferrata and at a seminary inFloriana,[12][13] but in 1943 they returned to the part of the auberge which was still standing. They remained there until 1956, when the premises had to be vacated due to their dilapidated state.[6] From 1956, the Magistrates' Court was situated atCasa Brunet at 107 Old Bakery Street.[14][15]
The ruins were subsequently demolished,[16] anda new courthouse with aneoclassical design began to be built on the site on 5 May 1965.[6] It was inaugurated on 9 January 1971.[1] The site of the portico is scheduled at grade 3, according to a 2006 decision, as some remains of the auberge may remain below ground.[17]
Auberge d'Auvergne was built in theMannerist style, typical of its architectGirolamo Cassar. The building originally had a square plan with a centralcourtyard, and it had a somewhat plain façade[18] containing an ornate doorway flanked by three windows on either side. Thequoins of the building hadrustications similar to those found atAuberge d'Aragon.[3]
After the 1783 enlargement, three further windows were added on the left side of the building, and its façade was no longer symmetrical.[2]
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