page_title: Auberge de Castille
section_title: French occupation and British rule
hierarchical_section_title: Auberge de Castille / History / French occupation and British rule
caption_attribution_description: English: The Fleet Messenger 'isonzo' at Malta - off the Castile (signal Station) image: in the centre a starboard beam view of a small warship, anchored in a harbour below fortified buildings topped by a masted signal station. In the right foreground is a local sailing boat, and two other naval vessels are to the left of the composition.
context_page_description: The Auberge de Castille is an auberge in Valletta, Malta, that now houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. The auberge is located at Castile Place, close to Saint James Cavalier, the Malta Stock Exchange, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. It sits at the highest point of Valletta and overlooks Floriana and the Grand Harbour area.
  Built in the Baroque style under the magistracy of Manuel Pinto da Fonseca in the 1740s, it replaced a 1574 building erected to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Castile, León and Portugal. The name Castille is often used as a metonym to refer to the Prime Minister and his office, as the White House is used to refer to the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
context_section_description: The Order of St. John was expelled from Malta with the French invasion and occupation in 1798. The auberge subsequently became a headquarters for the French forces, and it later housed a Commission for National Property. The building suffered some damage during the blockade of 1798–1800.
  After Malta became a British protectorate, in 1805 the auberge became the headquarters of the British armed forces in Malta. It was also used as a residence for British officers. In 1814, a disabled contingent from the army of Egypt was accommodated in the auberge. A Protestant chapel was opened in one of the rooms of the first floor in 1840. A signalling station with a large aerial was installed on the roof in 1889 to communicate with warships of the Mediterranean Fleet moored in the Grand Harbour. It was known as the Castille Tower.
  The then princess, now Queen Elizabeth II, has worked with the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen Families Association (SSAFA) when it was housed at Auberge de Castile.
  In 1942, during World War II, the right side of the building was damaged by aerial bombardment. The damaged parts were later repaired, and the aerial was removed. The auberge was also used as the General Headquarters of the Army for Malta and Libya, and also for Cyprus after 1954.
caption: View of the Grand Harbour in World War I, with the signalling station on Auberge de Castille visible to the left
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