Auberge de Castille

Auberge de Castille has been the office of the Prime Minister in Valletta since March 1972 when Dom Mintoff was Malta’s eighth Prim Minister. It is one of the seven auberges, originally housing the langue of Castile and Léon and Portugal. It is situated at the highest point of Valletta.The first version was built between 1571 and 1574 by Glormu Cassar. It was then rebuilt between 1741 and 1745 by Andrea Belli. In 1798, under French occupation, the Spanish Knights were evicted.From 1805 the Auberge was the Headquarters of the British Armed Forces in Malta. During the war, the Gunners were stationed here and the then Governor of Malta, General Sir William Dobbie, arranged a daily Changing of the Guard outside the Auberge to inspire the Maltese people.Now that it is the Prime Minister’s office, there is a Cabinet meeting held here every Tuesday. The Auberge was restored between 2009 and 2014, and the square outside the Castille Place, was completely remodelled in 2015.