| Palazzo Malta | |
|---|---|
Palazzo Magistrale | |
_1.jpg) View of Palazzo Malta | |
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| Alternative names | Magistral Palace Palazzo di Malta Palazzo dell'Ordine di Malta |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Palace |
| Location | Rome,Italy |
| Address | Via dei Condotti, 68 |
| Coordinates | 41°54′19″N12°28′50″E / 41.9053°N 12.4806°E /41.9053; 12.4806 |
| Completed | 17th century |
| Renovated | 18th century 1889–1894 |
| Owner |  Sovereign Military Order of Malta |
Palazzo Malta, officially named as theMagistral Palace (Italian:Palazzo Magistrale), and also known asPalazzo di Malta orPalazzo dell'Ordine di Malta, is the more important of the twoheadquarters of theSovereign Military Order of Malta (the other beingVilla Malta onAventine Hill), aRoman Catholic lay religious order and asovereign subject ofinternational law. It is located inVia dei Condotti, 68 inRome,Italy, a few minutes' walk from theSpanish Steps, and has been grantedextraterritoriality by the Italian Government. The Palace has been a property of the Order of Malta since 1630.
On 12 June 1798, theFrench forces underNapoleon Bonaparte were seen over the horizon of the island ofMalta, Malta had been the base of theOrder of St. John of Jerusalem, also called the Order of Malta. The Order had been given the island byCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor in 1530.[1] Napoleon left the island with a sizeablegarrison and a handpicked administration. Following aMaltese uprising, theBritish Lord Nelson was asked and took over Malta on 5 September 1800. Malta was made a British colony on 30 March 1814 by theTreaty of Paris.[2]
Thus, the Order of Malta was left without any territory, and it was effectively disbanded. It was restored, however, in 1834, under the new name "Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John ofJerusalem ofRhodes and of Malta", or simply the "Sovereign Military Order of Malta" (SMOM). New headquarters were set up at Palazzo Malta. In 1869, the Palazzo Malta, and the other headquarters of the Order,Villa Malta, were granted extraterritoriality.[3] Today they are recognised by 110 countries as the independent headquarters of a sovereign entity, with mutual diplomatic relations established.[4]
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The building now called Palazzo Malta was purchased in the 16th century by the Maltese-born ItalianarcheologistAntonio Bosio, whose uncle was the representative of the Order of St. John to theHoly See. When Bosio died in 1629, he left the building to the Order, and it subsequently became the home of the Order'sambassador to the Holy See. When Carlo Aldobrandini became ambassador, he enlarged the building to its present size.[5] The majority of governmental and administrative duties are also carried out in the building.[citation needed]
In the 1720s, Grand MasterAntónio Manoel de Vilhena entrustedCarlo Gimach with the restoration and additional decoration of the palace. This information is retrieved with the letters exchanged by the Grandmaster and the ambassador for the Order inRome, Giambattista Spinola.[6] Renovations included the addition of a grand fountain in the courtyard. The building remained an embassy until the entire Order moved its headquarters there in 1834.[5]
The building was extensively renovated between 1889 and 1894, but most of the original characteristics were retained.[5]
On 26 January 1938,Infante Juan Carlos (future KingJuan Carlos I), was baptized in this palace in a ceremony officiated by Cardinal Pacelli, futurePope Pius XII.[7]
Matthew Festing, who served as the Order'sPrince and Grand Master, lived in the building from 2008 until his resignation in 2017, following a dispute with the Vatican.[8]
The building is made ofashlar blocks, and it is crowned with acorbelledcornice.[5]
Media related toPalazzo di Malta at Wikimedia Commons
Catholicorder of chivalry andsovereign subject ofinternational law, founded in 1099 inJerusalem,  Kingdom of Jerusalem | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Preceded by Palazzo Madama, Rome | Landmarks of Rome Palazzo Malta | Succeeded by Palace of Justice, Rome |
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