When the Knights of St John built the city of Valletta they constructed an auberge or inn for each seven of their eight langues (languages, or nationalities). The auberges were intended mainly as the residences of knights who did not have a home of their own in Malta. They were also used to receive people of distinction who, in their travels, found themselves in Malta and in need of hospitality.

The Auberge de Castille was the official seat of the knights of the Langue of Castille, Leon and Portugal – one of the most powerful of the Order, its Head being the Grand Chancellor. The Knights of this Langue were responsible for the defence of part of the fortifications of Valletta, known as the Bastion of St Barbara.

The Auberge de Castille is situated at the highest point of Valletta and originally looked on the rolling countryside beyond, giving it a unique vantage-point unsurpassed by any other building in the city.

The original Auberge was built by the renowned Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar in 1574. It was extensively re-modelled and virtually rebuilt in 1741, the present plan of the imposing structure being attributed to Andrea Belli. The Auberge has a central courtyard, the rooms on three sides being approached through arched corridors, with the fourth side screening the main apartments in the piano nobile.

The building is the finest work of eighteenth century baroque architecture in Valletta. The facade is rich yet not over-decorated and its proportions, and especially its fenestration, are particularly pleasing. Ornamentation is concentrated in the crowning cornice, the window mouldings and surrounds, and above all in the riot of clustered sculpture of the very rich central focus.

The principal apartments are reached through an external flight of steps from Castille Place and a magnificent staircase which possesses, both in concept and execution, a rare degree of architectural excellence.

The building was damaged during the siege of the French forces (1799–1800) as well as during the Second World War (1939–1945).

Following the departure of the Knights of St. John, the Auberge de Castille served as the headquarters of the French occupation forces between 1798 and 1800 and as the British army headquarters after 1800. It became the Office of the Prime Minister in 1972.

Click here for a virtual tour of Auberge de Castille.