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Palazzo Pescatore is a palace in St. Paul's Bay, Malta. It was built in the late 19th century. Its symmetrical porticoed façades of neo-classical inspiration are similar to those of Palazzo Dragonara in St. Julian's.
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Architecture
The building is on two floors and is characterised by a verandah all around consisting of a colonnade in the Ionic order which was closed off by glass panels during the 1980s. The upper floor has a series of windows with moulded surrounds. The palazzo used to be surrounded by a garden, containing fountains and other embellishments. Some of the decoratioms are recent additions.
Garden
The gardens of Palazzo Pescatore have now been re-developed for modern investment. The interior and exterior was largely altered during the years when it used to be a nightclub. A neo-classical gate with engaged Ionic columns stands at the entrance to the complex and is a landmark in its own right.
Nightclub
The interior of Palazzo Pescatore was largely altered during the past decades when it was used as a nightclub. Palazzo Pescatore was banned from operating a nightclub on the site by ruling of the court, in Malta, for several reasons.
Restaurant
The Palace today serves as a complex, such as having a chained Italian food restaurant, in Malta. The restaurant serves a speciality of fish and the reason after this is because of the name of the palace 'Pescatore' which in translation from Italian to English is 'Fisherman'.
Maltese heritage
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) scheduled Palazzo Pescatore and its grounds as a Grade 2 List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest as per Government Notice number 492/06 in the Government Gazette dated June 6, 2006. Palazzo Pescatore is considered as a national monumnet in need of restoration, while it has suffered from major alterations over time. Thus the palace needs attention and preservation. Palazzo Pescatore is a private property but as a national treasure, the Maltese government holds the right to guide its use, and may negotiate with the owner.
The palace is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI).