(formerly the Conventual Conservator’s Residence and Local Governor’s Resident)

The Magisterial Palace was constructed at the top of St Philip’s Hill soon after the Order’s arrival in Malta. It was built by the Conventual Conservator (Draper) Carlo Duvré, who was also known as Tesseriers.

In 1557 Grandmaster La Valette left St Angelo to reside in the restored and enlarged building so as to be nearer to the people and the fortifications works that he was personally supervising.

When later the Order moved to Valletta, the Palace became the residence of the city’s local governor. The building was twice remodelled to serve as a nunnery; once in 1583 when Grandmaster Verdala (1581-95) offered the building to the feminine wing of the Order – the newly founded Monastery of St Ursola – who resided therein until they moved to Valetta in 1595; and again in 1604 when it was passed to the Benedictine Nuns of Santa Scolastica. The Benedictine nuns had originally come from Mdina between 1492 and 1496, and resided in Birgu up until 1574, after which they returned to Mdina. In 1604, they came to Birgu once again and resided in the Magisterial Palace. However the nuns complained several times about its inadequate conditions and in 1643 the 62-nun community moved to the Holy Infirmary.

The building was abandoned in 1692 in a decayed state and was further damaged by the 1693 earthquake. It was then sold for private use and destroyed during World War II to be later rebuilt as a block of flats for residential purposes.