Description of the attraction
Palazzo Falzon, also called the Palais des Cumbo Navarra, the House of Normandy and Casa dei Castelletti, was presumably built between 1495 and the middle of the 16th century, although part of it may have been erected in the 13th century. This makes the Falzon Palace the second oldest building in the city (the first is the Santa Sofia Palace). Falzon Palace is currently open to the public. It was converted into a historical house-museum. In the luxuriously furnished rooms, which give an idea of the life and life of the local aristocracy in the past centuries, a collection of antique furniture, art canvases, dishes and weapons is presented.
According to some historians, a synagogue once stood on the site of the Norman house. They decided not to disassemble it, but simply to include it in the composition of the future palace. Falzon Palace, named after its most famous owners who have lived here since the 16th century, is a two-story building with a cozy courtyard. Arched windows and unadorned facades indicate that this is a typical fortress-palace, which the local aristocrats preferred to have. The state rooms, intended for gentlemen, were located on the second floor. The first floor was reserved for servants. The floors are separated by a two-level cornice. Similar cornices can be seen in the Santa Sofia Palace in Mdina and in the Palazzo Montalto in Syracuse.
Falzon Palace is famous for the fact that Grand Master Philippe Villier de Lisle Adam stayed here during his visit to Mdina. By his arrival, the building was renovated. After the escape from Malta of the Falzon gentlemen, who had problems with the Inquisition, the palace was confiscated and donated to the Cumbo-Navarra family, after whom this building is also sometimes called. The name "Norman House" was assigned to the palace with the light hand of the last owner of the mansion - the military Olof Frederick Gollcher, a passionate collector who bequeathed all his property, including this house, to the Maltese government, on the condition that a museum would be opened here. The Maltese authorities have complied with Gollcher's last will.
