Where is Verdala Palace situated?

The palace stands in Buskett Gardens, within the limits of Siġġiewi in Malta.

Who originally established the site?

Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette erected a hunting lodge on the grounds, which Grand Master Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle later developed into a palace.

Is the palace open to regular tourist visits?

The palace remains closed to general tourism, operating as the official summer residence of the President of Malta and admitting the public only for specific events like the August Moon Ball.

What purposes did the property serve under British administration?

The British utilized the building as a silk factory, operated a temporary military hospital on the site, and later designated it as the official summer residence for the Governors of Malta.

How was the palace utilized during the French blockade?

The estate functioned as a military prison housing French soldiers captured by Maltese and British troops.

Birkirkara · Malta

Verdala Palace: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

Long-term residents treat the surrounding Buskett woodland as an everyday walking ground, since the palace gates stay shut to the public for presidential business outside a single summer charity gala.

About the place

Now in the cityVerdala Palacelocal time on site

Exchange rate€0.89per 1 $EUR — the local currencyas of Nov 2, 2026

Best monthAugustannual charity ball

Within two hours

Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni≈ 30 min Saint James Cavalier≈ 30 min Palazzo Ferreria≈ 30 min St Paul's Pro-Cathedral≈ 30 min Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel≈ 30 min Fort Saint Elmo≈ 30 min

About the place

A fortified renaissance country palace stands above the woodlands of Buskett, reserved today for the head of state.

Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette originally commissioned a hunting lodge in the Boschetto woodlands for the game hunts of the Order of Saint John. Grand Master Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle later expanded the structure into a fortified residence, giving the estate his name. Subsequent rulers added baroque embellishments before the complex endured stints as a military prison for French troops and a British silk factory.

Read on

British governors restored the abandoned complex from disrepair, turning it into their official country retreat and a temporary wartime medical facility. Curators transferred national museum collections to the stone vaults for safekeeping during wartime bombardments. Foreign monarchs and visiting heads of state stayed here for diplomatic summits before the republic formally designated the property for presidential use.

For long-term residents, the estate presents an unusual barrier. The surrounding Buskett woodland functions as an accessible public park, but the palace perimeter remains secured and inaccessible throughout the seasons. The general public gains access only during the annual August Moon Ball, an evening charity gala organised for the national community chest fund that temporarily opens the courtyards to ticket holders.

Associations

Buskett GardensThe surrounding woodland served as hunting grounds and remains open as public parkland.
Public Access RestrictionsState security keeps the palace interior barred to visitors for almost the entire year.
President of MaltaThe head of state retains the historic site as an active official summer residence.
August Moon BallAn annual charity gala provides the only regular opportunity to enter the palace grounds.
Wartime Art StorageNational museum collections were sheltered inside the stone palace to survive bombing.

Facts

The estate originated as a hunting lodge established for Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette.
Grand Master Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle expanded the hunting lodge into a fortified palace.
The complex served as a military detention facility for French prisoners during the Malta blockade.
National museum art collections were relocated to the property for protection during wartime.
The palace serves as the official summer residence of the President of Malta.

Updated September 24, 2026Source: Wikipedia

Verdala Palace: what's nearby, how to get there and when to go · 2026

A fortified renaissance country palace stands above the woodlands of Buskett, reserved today for the head of state.

Getting there and staying

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