Casa Rocca Piccola is a palace in Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

, currently occupied by the de Piros, a noble Maltese family. It is situated in Valletta

Valletta

Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...

, the capital city of Malta. There are daily tours.

History

The history of Casa Rocca Piccola goes back over 400 years to an era in which the Knights of St John, having successfully fought off the invading Turks in 1565

Siege of Malta

Siege of Malta may refer to:* The Siege of Malta , in which the Ottoman Empire failed to dislodge the Knights Hospitaller** Siege of Malta, 1570 work of the Cretan writer Antonios Achelis, about the above...

, decided to build a prestigious city to rival other European capitals such as Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 and Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

. Palaces were designed for prestige and aesthetic beauty in most of Valletta's streets, and bastion walls fortified the new sixteenth-century city.

Tenants

Casa Rocca Piccola has had tenants since the 16th century, amongst which are a number of notable figures:

Monsignor Fra Gaspare Gori Mancini of Siena

He was bishop of Malta from 1722 to 1728, during the reign of Grand Master de Vilhena. He is buried in the Conventual Church of St. John (Malta), recently renamed St. John's Co-Cathedral. The tabernacle door and altar front with a medallion depicting the martyrdom of St. Catherine in the Chapel of Italy of the same Church were donated by him but later stolen by Napoleon.

Gio Francesco, 2nd Count Sant

Gio Francesco married Chiara Bonici Platamone Cassia, 7th Baroness of Ghariexem and Tabia. He purchased most of the property on the block, including the included Casa Rocca Grande (now split into two): Palazzo Messina and Palazzo Marina. He led the Maltese aristocracy in the burning of their patents of nobility during the French occupation.

Francesco Sant Cassia, 6th Count Sant

Francesco Sant Cassia was only 13 years old when he inherited from his father. He was commissioned in the King's Own Malta Regiment of Militia. He married Maria Manduca and then, on her demise, her sister Concettina, both daughters of the Count of Mont'Alto. He entertained King George V

George V of the United Kingdom

George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....

to lunch at his house at St Paul’s Bay. He was one of the first Maltese owner-drivers of a car and he even owned his own bus.

Commendatore Antonio Cassar-Torreggiani O.B.E.

He was founder of The National Bank of Malta. He commissioned the R.M.S. Knight of Malta which, until she was requisitioned for war service, was the principal passenger transport vessel to the Italian mainland.

External links

• Official website
• De Piro D'Amico Inguanez, Marquis Nicholas. Family archives.
• An interview with Marquis de Piro, owner of Casa Rocca Piccola