Banca Giuratale, Baroque administrative building in Valletta, Malta
The Banca Giuratale is a two-story baroque building in Valletta featuring doric columns and ornamental windows set into a limestone facade. Today it functions as part of government administration, housing important state documents.
The building was completed in 1721 and originally housed the administrative center of Malta's Universitas, an organization that oversaw civic matters. It later transformed into a post office from 1841 to 1886 before assuming further state functions.
The building serves as a repository for Malta's judicial memory, holding records that shaped how communities resolved disputes and governed themselves over centuries. Walking through nearby streets, locals and visitors alike recognize this structure as part of the island's documentary heritage.
The building sits in central Valletta and is easy to reach on foot, though the city streets are steep and narrow. Access is generally limited since it operates as a working government building.
In June 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte spent his final night in Malta at this location before leaving the island. This historic connection links the building to a pivotal moment in European history.
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