Verdala Palace

The Verdala Palace in Buskett is a beautiful piece of architecture that houses the summer residence of the President of Malta

The Verdala Palace is the official summer residence of the President of Malta. It was built by Grandmaster de Verdalle in 1586 on a site surrounding the woodland of Buskett, which was used by the Knights for game hunting.The Verdala Palace is surrounded by a stone ditch, and was embellished by several grandmasters over the years.The building is spread over two floors and at each corner, there are towers five storeys high.

During the French rule, the palace was used as a military prison and was largely abandoned after that. Verdala Palace was later restored by Sir William Reid in 1858 and it became the official summer residence of the British Governors.

The Verdala Palace has been the official summer residence of the President of Malta since 1987 and is generally closed to the public except for the annual Ball of the August moon held in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund.