By: Wilfred L. Camilleri

Verdala Palace is a fortified villa built by Grand Master Hugues Loubenx dr Verdalle as his summer residence in 1586. The choice of the hill overlooking a fertile valley and giving the residents of the villa a view of the Mediterranean Sea could not have been more pleasant. The palace is surrounded by the Buskett Gardens which offer refuge from the sometimes harsh summer sun.

The palace was designed by Gerolamo Cassar, one of the most renown and prolific architects of those times. The square tower consists of a basement surrounded by a ditch. The stone for the palace was quarried from the ditch. The palace consists of two floors. Five-storey towers are located at each corner of the palace.

The approach to the palace is up a flight of steps across the ditch and leading to the main door. On the opposite side of the palace, a balcony with steps leading to the gardens across the ditch. An elliptical staircase occupies one corner of the main floor. The vaulted Great Hall is frescoed with scenes from the successful carreer of de Verdalle.

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