The Auberge d’Italie is considered one of the finest buildings in Valletta.

The Auberge d’Italie used to serve as an inn, hotel, temporary shelter and residence for the Italian division of the Knights of the Order of St. John in Malta.
The auberges were mainly intended as residences for knights who did not have
their own home in Malta. In addition, they often accommodated travellers who
found themselves on the island.

The first Auberge d’Italie was erected in Birgu in 1550. After the capital city was
moved from Birgu to Valletta in 1571, the knights of Italian descent needed a new residence. Therefore a second building for the Italian knights was built in the centre of the new city at the end of the 16th century. The Italians also lost this structure, as it became part of the Palace of the Grand Master.

Both palaces for the Italian knights in Valletta were designed by the Maltese
architect Girolamo Cassar.

The construction of the building still existing today lasted 5 years.

The facade of the palace is decorated in the Baroque style. In the centre, above
the entrance, there is a bust of Grand Master Carafa, and next to it is his coat of
arms, surrounded with bas-reliefs with military attributes: flags, knightly armour, and trophy weapons.

After the knights were expelled from Malta in 1798, the Italian knights’ palace was used for various purposes. It housed military headquarters, a museum, an art school, the court, a post office, and a number of various government departments.