Inquisitor's Palace

The Inquisitor's Palace (Maltese: Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur) is a palace in Birgu, Malta. It was built in the 16th century as a courthouse, and it was used the inquisitor's residence from 1574 to 1798. It is now open to the public as the National Museum of Ethnography.

History

The Inquisitor's Palace was originally built in the 1530s as the Castellania, the civil law courts of the Order of St. John. The design is attributed to the architect Nicolò Flavari. The Castellania moved to new premises in the newly built capital city of Valletta in 1571.

Following the establishment of the Roman Inquisition in 1574, the building became the inquisitor's residence. The first inquisitor who took up residence in the palace was Pietro Dusina. The building also housed the inquisition's tribunal and prisons.

Over the years, the palace underwent a number of modifications. Its façade was rebuilt in 1660 by Francesco Buonamici and Francesco Sammut. It was again enlarged in the early 18th century, and the main staircase was built in 1733. Today, very little remains of the original Castellania structure due to the later alterations.