Information
Landmark: Auberge d'AngleterreCity: Birgu
Country: Malta
Continent: Europe
Auberge d'Angleterre, Birgu, Malta, Europe
Overview
The Auberge d’Angleterre, a centuries-old landmark in Valletta, Malta, belongs to the group of grand stone auberges the Knights of St. John built while they ruled the island.Each auberge belonged to a particular language group in the Order, housing knights from across Europe-French voices in one hall, Italian in another.The Auberge d’Angleterre was home to the English knights, its stone halls echoing with the murmur of their voices.In the late 1500s, the Knights of St. John built the Auberge d’Angleterre to give each of the eight Langues-Provence, Aragon, Castile, Italy, Germany, France, England, and Portugal-its own lodgings, their stone walls still carrying the echo of that purpose.Each auberge served as both a home and a meeting hall for the knights.This one, its pale limestone walls still catching the afternoon sun, stands among Malta’s earliest Renaissance buildings, built under the Order’s supervision soon after their arrival in 1530.The Auberge d’Angleterre was set aside for knights from England, then part of the English Langue of the Order of St. John.Inside its thick stone walls, they lived, met for councils, and gathered for social and military affairs.For centuries, it remained central to the Order’s social and religious life, its walls echoing with gatherings and prayers.The Auberge d’Angleterre shows off a Renaissance style, marked by balanced symmetry and elegant classical proportions.The building’s design features arches, sturdy columns, and intricate stone carvings that echo the Italian Renaissance style of its time.Its façade is richly adorned, with a grand entrance and windows edged in finely worked stone.At its heart, the building has a quiet courtyard garden where knights could pause in the shade of orange trees.Like the other auberges in Valletta, the Auberge d’Angleterre wasn’t just a place to stay - it was built to showcase the English knights’ prestige and influence.It stood as one piece of a larger network of military, administrative, and religious buildings that supported the Order of St. John.English knights-some of the Order’s most influential members-once lived here, calling its thick stone walls home.They helped govern Malta and stood ready to defend it, especially in brutal clashes like the Great Siege of 1565, when cannon fire shook the island.The building once served as a hub for strategy sessions and a gathering spot where knights returned after battle, still smelling of steel and smoke.Over time, as the Order’s role on the island shifted, so did the purpose of the auberge.When the French seized Malta in 1798, the Knights were forced out, and many auberges were left to crumble or turned to other uses.Today, the Auberge d’Angleterre stands restored, its stone walls now welcoming visitors in a role far removed from its original purpose.Today, the building serves government offices, yet its carved stone balconies and weathered walls still echo the past.In Valletta, it stands as a celebrated landmark, and those strolling the Knights’ auberges walking tour pause to admire its Renaissance façade.The interior usually stays closed to visitors, but you can wander the courtyard and nearby paths, catching sight of weathered stone and carved arches that hint at its past.The Auberge d’Angleterre stands as a striking piece of Renaissance architecture and a key chapter in Valletta’s history.Home to the English knights of the Order of St. John, it stood at the heart of the Order’s social and administrative life, bustling with voices and the scratch of quills during Malta’s years under their rule.It no longer houses knights, but the building still stands as a vivid piece of Malta’s military past and its proud stone-carved heritage.
