Verdala Palace in Buskett will be open to the public in an open weekend fund-raising activity for the Malta Community Chest Fund on 18 October from noon to 6pm and the following day from 9am to 6pm.

President and Mrs Fenech Adami last year opened San Anton Palace to the public, for the same cause.

The Verdala open weekend will give visitors the first opportunity to see a restored painting attributed to Paladini in the palace’s main room. Four companies – the Gasan Group, the Malta Financial Services, Polidano Brothers, and Tumas Group – contributed e187,000 to restore the painting, which had been covered under whitewash some 80 years ago. Rooms in the upper floor and the wood surrounding the palace may also be viewed by those visiting.

During the open days painters will also be busy at work drawing angles of the palace and its environs. Their works, including paintings they have already done showing palace scenes, will be on sale, with a quarter of the revenue made going to the MCCF. Those interested in buying scenes which have already been painted may view them at www.doi.gov.mt.

Visiting adults will be asked to contribute four euros in aid of the MCCF, which helps people with their daily basic needs, people accompanying sick patients for medical treatment abroad, and patients needing to buy expensive medicines.

Verdala Palace replaced a small house which had been built between 1557 and 1568 by the founder of Valletta, Grand Master Jean de la Valette, who wanted a hunting lodge. The palace itself was built by Grand Master Hughes Loubenx de Verdalle in 1586 and it was further embellished by Grand Master Jean de Lascaris-Castellar (1636-1657) and Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena (1722-1736).

During the short-lived French rule, after the Knights of St John were banished from Malta, Verdala Palace served as a military prison for Napoleon’s troops, who in turn eventually surrendered to Maltese and English troops. Under the English the palace was used as a residence of the governors, and today it is the country residence of the President of Malta.