The Collachio Area

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When the knights of St John arrived in Malta, they moved to Birgu to live in the inner harbour area so that they could be close to their fleet. They moved to a particular area in Birgu which became known as the Collachio. Here they followed the same pattern of their Rhodes sojourn where they had their own private zone, but in Birgu it was impossible to have exclusive access to the Collachio. In this area the knights built their auberges such as the Auberge of France and Auberge of England which are both still intact. They also built palaces namely the Inquisitor’s Palace and on the outskirts of the Collachio they built a hospital named La Sacra Infermeria that contained Mattia’s Preti Holy Family painting whilst it still features L’Isle Adam’s armorial shield which dates back to 1533. Behind St James Cavalier the knights built a remarkable armoury along with the fortification of the Post of Castille which was also known as l’Altare della Patria. It was in the Collachio that the famous brothers Melchiore and Lorenzo Gafà had their botteghe and where a young Girolamo Cassar got his inspirations for his designs in the new capital city Valletta. This ancient area is full of history and memories where one can see different cultures unfolding, ranging from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance and the Baroque with evident remains that gave Malta its typical domestic architecture.In collaboration with Kottonera Foundation