Serving for about 150
years, in 1741, it was decided by the Council of the Order, that a second
Auberge would be built but on a different style; transforming the military
character to something more original and prestigious, to the new flamboyant
Baroque style. The façade and the plan were attributed to Domenico Cachia, whose
work was the finest of 18th Century Valletta. The façade, rich yet not over
decorative, has pilasters, recessed panel and centrepiece projection, of
pleasing proportions which give a touch of excellence to the building. Since
Grand Master Pinto gave the main donation for the building, about 200 scudi,
the theme of the façade is propagandistic in Pinto’s regards. The Grand
Master’s symbol and the crescent moon are frequently displayed through
different parts of the building while the Grand Master’s Coat of Arms and bust
are the main decoration to the central window. Originally, these were too large
and heavy and their removal was necessary in 1766 – 1768 to avoid damaging the
building fabric. Apart from the Grand Master’s Coat of Arms, the coat of arms
of the Langue of Spain and Portugal are also carved on the façade.
Five windows are found on
each side of the main entrance, which according to some sources are located on
the exact place of the first Auberge. They are secured with wrought iron
grilles with Pinto’s half moon emblem. Pilasters for the new building are also
built on the previous ones. Most of the decorations moulded on windows
and on the main door were transformed by time in order to give the building a
baroque style and a homogeneous look. It is interesting to note that on each
window one can find the abbreviation E.P (Emanuel Pinto), a rare monogram on
the buildings in Valletta. In 1791, the main door was enlarged, an arch for the
main door and a large staircase in the parapet were constructed. Writers think
that the pilasters at the corners are remains from Cassar’s previous building
and that the original façade may have been smaller. From their conclusions we
can say that the original building had been rebuilt reflecting Grand Master
Pinto’s Spanish Baroque style.
When the last Grand
Master backed the Order of St. John from Malta in 1798, the Auberge was used as
a Commission for National property under the command of the French invaders.
After two years of French presence in Malta, the island became a British
colony, transforming the Auberge of Castille as the headquarters of the armed
forces and also used as a residence for the British officers. The Auberge of
Castille has also been used as the headquarters of the army for Malta Cyprus
and Libya. During the Second World War, in 1942 some damage was caused on the
right hand side of the main entrance damaging also the ceiling of one of the
front halls. Since 1972 the Auberge has hosted the office of the Maltese Prime
minister.
One of the main concerns
with the restoration of the Auberge was the sheer size the building has
approximately 3,200 meters squared of flat area and a substantial amount of
ornamental stonework which translate into approximately 6,000 meters squared of
developed area. The elaborate sculptured motifs required a high level of
craftsmanship and meticulous interventions. The bronze bust required a
conservator specialised in metals. Some areas, particularly on Merchants
street required further monitoring to ascertain that existing cracks were no
longer active while several localised cracks appeared to be of no structural
consequence. In such instances, interventions were limited to the use of
adhesives to ensure re-attachment of the detached stonework. Stone replacement
was only resorted to only in extreme cases. Rusting steel elements were a major
cause of damage to the stonework in these cases better detailing and more
appropriate materials will need to be used to avoid re-occurrence in the
future. With regards to black crust various methods of removal could be
applied, depending on the consistency of the dirt and the condition of the
underlying stone. Good practice requires that cleaning techniques that were
adopted were non-abrasive, to ensure that the stone patina was preserved. Various
sculptured elements of the facade were in an advanced state of erosion. The
method of intervention in such situations included plastic repair, piecing in
of missing elements or stone replacement.