Inquisitor's Palace

The Inquisitor’s Palace, located in Birgu (also known as Vittoriosa) was actually built in the 1530s as the civil law courts of the Order of St. John. It was taken over in 1574 when the first Inquisitor decided he wanted to abandon his initial base in Valletta for a ‘des res’ in the country that had its own cells. He quite understandably chose this magnificent property and along with his 61 successors, the Holy Office stayed in it for more than 200 years. 

Today, the Inquisitor’s Palace remains an architectural jewel and a must-see for history-lovers visiting Malta. It is one of the few surviving examples of a style of Roman Palace that would have been found all over Europe and South America in the early modern period.

Apart from the display areas in the tribunal room, the prison complex and the kitchen, there is a permanent exhibition on the impact of the Inquisition on Maltese society which aims to portray the most important aspects of Malta’s religious culture, placing particular focus on the early modern period and the impact of the Inquisition on Maltese society. 

Back in the day it was a sinister and mysterious building as anyone who passed through its doors was sworn to absolute secrecy about what they had encountered within.

Highlights of one of the displays - ‘Passio et Resurrectio – The Passion and Resurrection of Christ’ - include an artistic church model set up for Holy Week, two life-size polychrome sculptures paraded in the traditional Good Friday processions and two 18th century paintings portraying Our Lady of Sorrows and Christ crucified.

The palace managed to survive through many World War II bombings and is the only Inquisitor’s Place open to the public in the world. Nowadays, the building is also home to the Museum of Ethnography, which focuses on the popular devotions and religious values in the Maltese culture.

The palace is the ideal home for this concept given its connections, through the Inquisition, to ensure the population were conforming to the official doctrines sanctioned by the Catholic Church.

The Inquisitor’s Palace is open every day from 9.00am to 5.00pm but if you’re on a Christmas trip please note that it closes on 24, 25 and 31 December plus 1 January. It’s also closed on Good Friday.

Admission costs €6 with discounts for children, students and OAPs. Children under five years of age enter free of charge. There may be a separate charge for temporary or special exhibitions.

You can also purchase a Vittoriosa Multi-Site Ticket (which enables you to visit the Inquisitor's Palace and Malta Maritime Museum) for €9.00 as long as you visit them both in one day. Bus number 2 from Valletta to Birgu/Vittoriosa is the one you need.