Inquisitor's Palace - National Museum of Ethnography, Malta

Call Directions Website

Inquisitor's Palace - National Museum of Ethnography, Malta One of Heritage Malta's museums dealing with the history of the Roman Inquisition in Malta.

The Inquisitor’s Palace, sited in the heart of Vittoriosa, is one of the very few surviving examples of a style of palace that would have been found all over Europe and South America in the early modern period. Mgr Pietro Dusina arrived in Malta in 1574 as the first general inquisitor and apostolic delegate of the Maltese Islands. The Grand Master offered him the unused palace as an official residence. Almost all successive inquisitors sought to transform the palace into a decent mansion. They all shared the same cultural values of clerical baroque Roman society, and by the mid-18th century they had managed successfully to transform the building into a typical Roman palace. It is now one of Heritage Malta's museums and is the flagship of the Ethnography section of the same Heritage Malta. Timeline

The following table contains some of the most important dates in the Palace’s history:

1530s-1571


The palace was erected as the civil law courts of the Order of St John

1571-1574


Remained vacant

1574


Official residence of Mgr. Pietro Dusina the first general Inquisitor and apostolic delegate of the Maltese islands

1634-1639


Inquisitor Fabio Chigi constructed the garden

1639-1645


Inquisitor Gio. Battista Gori Pannellini built a section of the prisons and the Inquisitor’s private quarters

1658-1663


Inquisitor Gerolamo Casanate altered the façade to what it is today and isolated the palace from all adjoining buildings.

1694-1698


Inquisitor Tommaso Ruffo built the apartments and the chapel

1698-1703


Inquisitor Giacinto Ferrero di Masserano constructed the other section of the prisons and rehabilitated the Piano Nobile

1731-1735


Inquisitor Gio. Franceso Stoppani built the new majestic entrance and the main staircase

French Occupation


The palace was used as the residence of the commander of the Cottonera district

British period


First used the building as a military hospital and later as a mess-house for army officers

1926


Passed into the hands of the Museums Department to form part of the Fine Arts Section

1926-1936


Curator Vincenzo Bonello gave back to the palace much of its lost dignity and respect

1942-1954


The palace was occupied by the Dominican friars since their convent and church in Vittoriosa were both destroyed by enemy bombing during WWII

1966


Back to the Museum’s Department, the palace was opened to the general public after a period of restoration in the 1960s

1981


The upper floors were transformed into a folklore museum

The Present


Now part of Heritage Malta, the Inquisitor’s Palace is the flagship of the Ethnography Section.

⏳🔙 Wara aktar minn 100 sena l-korp l-antik mis-sett ta' vari tal-Parroċċa tal-Birgu, illum parti mill-kollezzjoni nazzjo...
16/10/2026

⏳🔙 Wara aktar minn 100 sena l-korp l-antik mis-sett ta' vari tal-Parroċċa tal-Birgu, illum parti mill-kollezzjoni nazzjonali fil-mużew, reġa' qiegħed għall-wiri għal żmien qasir fil-monument oriġinali tiegħu bħala parti mill-wirja Mysterium Passionis fl-Oratorju tal-Kurċifiss ✝️

Dan u ħafna aktar ser ikollok ċans tiskoprijom għada, is-Sibt 17 u l-Ħadd 18 ta’ Ottubru, waqt dawra gwidata bla ħlas bil-Malti li fihom ser nesploraw il-patrimonju artistiku u intanġibbli marbut mal-Ġimgħa l-Kbira u l-Għid.

Iż-żjara tibda fl-10:00am fil-Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur, u tkompli b’ attrazzjonijiet oħrajn mifruxa madwar il-Birgu, fosthom din il-wirja mtella’ mill-Kummissjoni Ġimgħa Kbira Birgu. Naslu fi tmiem ir-rotta madwar il-11:30am.. 🎟️🏛️

Erfa' postok minn qabel billi taqta' biljett minn kwalunkwe mużew jew sit ta’ Heritage Malta, jew online minn European Networking Days - Il-Kult tal-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa fil-Birgu - Heritage Malta.

Din l-attivita' tfakkar it-twaqqif tal-European network of Holy Week and Easter Celebrations

📌 Please note: This event will be held in Maltese only.

Fadal ftit postijiet
🔗 Ibbukkja għas-Sibt 17 https://heritagemalta.mt/store/e2117/

🔗 Ibbukkja għall-Ħadd 18 https://heritagemalta.mt/store/e2118/

🙏🏻 Nirringrazzjaw lil Dr Mario Xuereb u lil dawk kollha li qegħdin magħna għat-tielet taħdita fit-tielet serje ta' taħdi...
15/10/2026

🙏🏻 Nirringrazzjaw lil Dr Mario Xuereb u lil dawk kollha li qegħdin magħna għat-tielet taħdita fit-tielet serje ta' taħdidiet dwar l-Inkwiżizzjoni

🇲🇹 Skopri l-patrimonju marbut mal-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa! ✝️🎭Nhar is-Sibt 17 u l-Ħadd 18 ta’ Ottubru, ingħaqad magħna għal dawra...
15/10/2026

🇲🇹 Skopri l-patrimonju marbut mal-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa! ✝️🎭
Nhar is-Sibt 17 u l-Ħadd 18 ta’ Ottubru, ingħaqad magħna għal dawra gwidata bla ħlas bil-Malti biex tiskopri l-patrimonju artistiku u intanġibbli marbut mal-Ġimgħa l-Kbira u l-Għid.

Iż-żjara tibda fl-10:00am fil-Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur, u tkompli b’ attrazzjonijiet oħrajn mifruxa madwar il-Birgu, fosthom il-wirja Mysterium Passionis mtella’ mill-Kummissjoni Ġimgħa Kbira Birgu fl-Oratorju tal-Kurċifiss. Naslu fi tmiem ir-rotta madwar il-11:30am.. 🎟️🏛️

Erfa' postok minn qabel billi taqta' biljett minn kwalunkwe mużew jew sit ta’ Heritage Malta, jew online minn European Networking Days - Il-Kult tal-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa fil-Birgu - Heritage Malta.

Din l-attivita' tfakkar it-twaqqif tal-European network of Holy Week and Easter Celebrations

📌 Please note: This event will be held in Maltese only.

Postijiet limitati
🔗 Ibbukkja għas-Sibt 17 https://heritagemalta.mt/store/e2117/

🔗 Ibbukkja għall-Ħadd 18 https://heritagemalta.mt/store/e2118/

13/10/2026

🎤🎶 Il-vuċi għadna niftakruha. Il-kanzunetta wkoll. Imma tiftakruha l-libsa? 👗

🥉 Il-libsa li biha Mary Spiteri rrappreżentat lil Malta fil-Eurovision tal-1992, meta kisbet it-tielet post bil-kanzunetta Little Child, illum tagħmel parti mill-Kollezzjoni Nazzjonali. Tistgħu tarawha mill-qrib fil-Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Etnografija, li jinsab fil-Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur, il-Birgu, sal-1 ta’ Novembru 🤍

🎤🎶 We remember the voice. We remember the song. But what about the dress? 👗

Mary Spiteri’s Eurovision 1992 gown has become part of Malta’s National Collection. Discover the original dress behind one of Malta’s most memorable Eurovision performances at the National Museum of Ethnography, located within the Inquisitor’s Palace in Birgu, until 1st November 🤍

04/10/2026

🎶 Minn Malmö 1992 għall-Birgu 2026 ✨

👗 Il-libsa tal-Eurovision ta’ Mary Spiteri, li libset waqt il-prestazzjoni memorabbli tagħha ta’ Little Child, illum tagħmel parti mill-Kollezzjoni Nazzjonali ta’ Malta. Din se tkun għall-wiri temporanjament fil-Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur mit-3 ta’ Ottubru sat-3 ta’ Novembru.

📅 Tista’ tara l-libsa mill-qrib anke waqt Birgufest, nhar is-Sibt 10 ta’ Ottubru. Biljett wieħed joffrilek ukoll dħul fil-Forti Sant’Anġlu.
🔗 Għal aktar informazzjoni: https://heritagemalta.mt/whats-on/special-opening-for-birgu-fest/

🎶 From Malmö 1992 to Birgu 2026 ✨

👗 Mary Spiteri’s Eurovision dress, worn during her memorable performance of Little Child, is now part of Malta’s National Collection. It will be on temporary display at the Inquisitor’s Palace from 3rd October to 3rd November.

📅 You can also see the dress up close during Birgufest on Saturday, 10th October. A combined ticket also gives you admission to Fort St Angelo.
🔗 For more information: https://heritagemalta.mt/whats-on/special-opening-for-birgu-fest/

🇲🇹 Żewġ naħliet beżlin jidhru jduru madwar il-fjura nazzjonali ta’ Malta, il-Widnet il-Baħar, f’dan ix-xogħol uniku maħd...
30/09/2026

🇲🇹 Żewġ naħliet beżlin jidhru jduru madwar il-fjura nazzjonali ta’ Malta, il-Widnet il-Baħar, f’dan ix-xogħol uniku maħdum bl-arti tradizzjonali Ċiniża tal-pittura bit-tiben tal-qamħ, fejn zkuk sempliċi jinbidlu f’disinji mimlija dettall 🐝

Delegazzjoni mill-kampus tal-Istitut għall-Istudji Turistiċi (ITS) f’Zhengzhou ppreżentat din il-pittura lil Heritage Malta fil-Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur u l-Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Etnografija fil-Birgu. Issa parti mill-Kollezzjoni Nazzjonali ta’ Malta, ix-xogħol jiċċelebra r-rabtiet diplomatiċi bejn Malta u ċ-Ċina 🌸

🇬🇧 Two busy bees hover over Malta’s national flower, the purple Widnet il-Baħar, beautifully captured in this traditional Chinese wheat straw painting, where humble stalks are transformed into intricate compositions 🐝

A delegation from the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) campus in Zhengzhou presented the piece to Heritage Malta at the Inquisitor’s Palace and the National Museum of Ethnography in Birgu. Now part of Malta’s National Collection, the artwork celebrates the diplomatic ties between Malta and China 🌸

Institute Of Tourism Studies - ITS

✨ Ftit maġija tal-Eurovision tasal fil-Birgu! 🎤🥉 Il-libsa ikonika li libset Mary Spiteri meta wasslet lil Malta fit-tiel...
29/09/2026

✨ Ftit maġija tal-Eurovision tasal fil-Birgu! 🎤

🥉 Il-libsa ikonika li libset Mary Spiteri meta wasslet lil Malta fit-tielet post fil-Eurovision tal-1992 bil-kanzunetta ‘Little Child’ – libsa li llum hija parti mill-Kollezzjoni Nazzjonali – se tkun għall-wiri fil-Palazz tal-Inkwiżitur u l-Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Etnografija fil-Birgu mis-Sibt 3 ta’ Ottubru sal-Ħadd 1 ta’ Novembru.

📅 U fid-9 u l-10 ta’ Ottubru, ara din il-libsa f’dawl differenti, waqt ħinijiet estiżi bħala parti mill-Birgu Fest ta' din is-sena 🎉

✨ A touch of Eurovision magic lands in Birgu! 🎤

🥉 Worn by Mary Spiteri when she took Malta to third place at Eurovision 1992 with ‘Little Child’, this iconic dress – now part of the National Collection – will be on display at the Inquisitor’s Palace and the National Museum of Ethnography in Birgu from Saturday 3rd October to Sunday 1st November.

📅 And on 9th and 10th October, see it in a whole new light, during extended opening hours as part of this year’s Birgu Fest 🎉

Address

Main Gate Street
Vittoriosa
BRG1023

Opening Hours

Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+35621827006

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Inquisitor's Palace - National Museum of Ethnography, Malta posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share