Palazzo Ferreria : survivor of political disputes, cultural upheavals and socio-economic developments of 19th and 20th century Malta

Abstract

Upon entering the city of Valletta, a particular 19th century palazzo lying on the site formerly occupied by the foundry of the Knights of St. John, hardly goes unnoticed; primarily due to its scale and highly ornamemed facades that make up its rich exterior fabric. This building on Strada Reale with such an eclectic combination of architectural motifs is Palazzo Ferreria, better known as Palazzo Buttigieg-Francia. It is a masterpiece by Maltese architect Giuseppe Bonavia, who was also responsible for various other notable 19th century buildings in Malta. The presence of Edward Barry's Opera House just across the street, must have encouraged Bonavia to steer away from the rest of Valletta's predominant Baroque style by taking inspirations from Florentine and Venetian palazzi to portray such a hybrid architectural imagery for its time. The Palazzo was built to serve as the main residence for the wealthy hanker Giuseppe Buttigieg and his family although its use has shifted from residential to governmental and commercial ones, Little did Bonavia know that the Palazzo would today be a far cry from its original state. Within its fabric and within the memory of its past inhabitants, lies a story of political disputes, cultural upheavals and socio-economic developments that Malta underwent throughout the 19th and 2orh centuries. This dissertation shall seek to collate and chronicle the events and development of Palazzo Ferreria through the years whilst contextualising it within its rightful place in Maltese architectural heritage. New uses which would give the building its deserved dignity are put forward whilst their impacts are debated from an architectural, historical, social and economic perspective.