DK Travel : Malta & Gozo : Palazzo Parisio, Naxxar

Palazzo Parisio, Naxxar

No one has rated this yet.

Rate it

Review this attraction

Are these details incorrect?

The Palazzo Parisio was originally built in 1733 for Portuguese Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena. In 1898 it was bought by the Marquis Giuseppe Scicluna, who transformed it into one of the island’s most extravagantly beautiful residences. The Marquis commissioned the finest Maltese and Italian craftsmen to embellish his palace, filled it with exquisite furnishings and works of art, and introduced modern amenities such as electric light and telephones (Malta’s first). Sadly, the Marquis died only a year after the palace’s transformation was complete. It remains in the hands of the Scicluna family and the house, along with its glorious Baroque gardens, are now open to the public.
If you aren’t in the mood to explore the palace, it’s possible to purchase a ticket just for the gardens. The palace’s café is perfect for a coffee break or lunch; book in advance for a table out in the sublime gardens. There’s another Palazzo Parisio in Valletta; it achieved notoriety as Napoleon’s headquarters during his brief visit in 1798 See French Rule (1798–1800) In Jan 2008, Malta abandons the Maltese lira (Lm) and adopts the euro (€). As this book goes to press, Lm1 is equivalent to €2.33.

Top 10 Features

1. Façade

1. Façade

The elegant façade of the palace is sadly hard to appreciate since it fronts a main road. It overlooks Naxxar’s central square, dominated by a flamboyant Baroque church.
2. Entrance Hall

Opulence envelops you as soon as you enter. The vestibule is flamboyantly decorated in the Pompeii Style with classical statues and a frescoed ceiling.
3. Marble Staircase

3. Marble Staircase

The coping over the magnificent staircase is formed by a single piece of gleaming white Carrara marble 6 m (20 ft) in length.
4. Dining Room

4. Dining Room

The dining room is decorated in the Pompeii Style popular around 1900. The huge dining table is laid with special Royal Doulton china and glittering crystal.
5. Main Bedroom

5. Main Bedroom

Sumptuously decorated in pale green and gold, the bedroom boasts hand-painted walls topped with a delicate fringe of green and gold made of stucco. Off the bedroom is a pretty, pastel-hued ladies’ dressing room with gilded furniture.
6. Study/Library

6. Study/Library

With its brocaded curtains and Art Nouveau chairs, this room has a decidedly French feel. Stucco reliefs show plump cherubs equipped with a telephone.
7. Music Room

7. Music Room

This beautiful little salon has walls of fine silk and an extravagantly gilded ceiling. Each item of furniture features a different musical instrument. The Maltese cross has been incorporated into the design of the inlaid floor.
8. Ballroom

8. Ballroom

The opulent Ballroom is a magnificent golden whirl. Vast chandeliers are reflected in enormous gilt mirrors, and the ceiling is covered with elaborate stucco.
9. Billiard Room

This room still contains the original, enormous billiard table sent over from London. The walls and 3D “carved” ceiling are a triumph of trompe l’oeil.
10. Gardens

10. Gardens

The palace’s beautiful gardens are loveliest, and fragrant with orange and lemon blossom, in spring. There are two formal gardens and an Orangerie with a 17th-century grotto.

Practical Information

If you aren’t in the mood to explore the palace, it’s possible to purchase a ticket just for the gardens. The palace’s café is perfect for a coffee break or lunch; book in advance for a table out in the sublime gardens. Pjazza Vittorja, Naxxar 2141 2461 Open 9am–4pm Mon–Fri (last tour 3pm) Adm Lm3.50 (Senior citizens Lm2.50, students Lm2.25, children 5–15 Lm1.75, under-5s free). Gardens only: Lm2.25 (students Lm1.75) Adm exclusively by guided tour; tours every hour www.palazzoparisio.com