Ædes Danielis

Ædes Danielis
View of façade with niche of biblical prophet Daniel and the side chapel[1][2]
Interactive map of Ædes Danielis
Former namesGregorio Bonici Palace
General information
StatusIntact
TypeOriginally a country house, now a primary residence
Architectural styleRenaissance
Location28-30, Misrah Carlo Diacono, Żejtun, Malta
Coordinates35°51′14″N 14°31′52″E / 35.85389°N 14.53111°E / 35.85389; 14.53111
Named forProphet Daniel
Gregorio Bonici
Completed1660
OwnerGregorio Bonici (1612-1697)
Mario Testaferrata (1654-1747)
Enrico Testaferrata de Noto (1703-?)
Giovanni Paolo Testaferrata Olivier (1812-1888)
Emmanuele Testaferrata (1843-1903)
Daniele Testaferrata (1880-1945)
Maria Testaferrata Bonici (1903-1974)
Annamaria Spiteri Debono (1961-Present)
Technical details
MaterialLimestone
Floor count3

Ædes Danielis (transl. House of Daniel; Maltese: Dar ta' Danjeli), sometimes known as Palazzo Gregorio Bonici (transl. Gregorio Bonici Palace; Maltese: Palazz Girgor Bonici), is a late 17th century renaissance building with private gardens and a private church in Żejtun, Malta.[3] It is a historic private property built by Gregorio Bonici as his secondary residence, and is now owned by the descendants of the Bonici and Testaferrata families.[4][5][6]

History

Ædes Danielis is a 17th-century country-house, built in 1660 as a residence for the Roman Patrician Don Gregorio Bonici dei Marchesi Bordino (1612–1697).[7][8][9] Bonici was one of the donors of the land where the parish church now stands.[10][11] Bonici was a successful trader in the wheat industry and occupied some of the highest civilian positions in Malta.[12] In fact, he was the castellan (Maltese: Ħakem) of Mdina during the reign of Grandmaster Lascaris.[13][14][15]

Gregorio Bonici had offered the land in front of Ædes Danielis to build a larger parish church for the locality but, owing to criticism for being distant from some villagers, it was then decided to alternatively donate other land.[16][17] The family had no children but, similar to other well-to-do families, owned slaves who took care of the household. Two of the slaves were given their freedom after they convinced their owner of their conversion to Christianity and by marrying them to men he approved.[18][19] His favourite among the former slaves was Angela who was permitted to take Bonici as her surname. She was given freedom and allowed to get married, living a normal life. She and her husband named their son Daniel, who became a priest thanks to a prerequisite sum of money for priesthood donated by Gregorio.[20]

Following the death of Gregorio Bonici on 16 May 1697, his childless wife (Elena Barbara) inherited his assets, including the building which remained her residence until her death on 28 May 1700.[21] The building later passed to other members of the Bonici family who intermarried with the Testaferrata family, and eventually with the Moroni Viani family.[22][23]

The garage at the back of the property was used as a massive storage for the decorations of the feast of the village, until around WWII.[24] The building was requisitioned by the British army during WWII to be used by servicemen stationed in the area.[25][26] The garden, forming part of the property, was directly hit by enemy aerial bombing on 11 May 1941, at around 9pm, just before sunset.[27] The nobility was abolished around 1974.[28]

Undenied word of mouth has it that Bonici's brother, Daniele Bonici, was buried alive after being sexually abused by priests in Birgu. Daniele was 14 years at the time of his death - he served as an altar boy and following the abuse the priests opted for a way to seal their criminal deeds.[12] The building is claimed to be named after him,[29] but it is more likely to have been named for the niche of Prophet Daniel, which is centrally located on the main façade.[30]

The building and its chapel were robbed extensively in two separate occasions - once in January 1980 and again in August 1981.[31][32] On 14 June 1999, Maria Testaferrata Bonici (née Testaferrata Moroni Viani) died and she left in her will all the belonging to her three children a third each, including the building. The heirs mentioned in the will are Agnes Gera de Petri, Annamaria Spiteri Debono (née Annamaria Testaferrata Bonici), and Caren Preziosi.[33][34] The building was eventually divided with different family members, but only Annamaria Spiteri Debono holds residence.[22]

The building is mentioned as an official address in the Paradise Papers.[35] The building is also known as Palazzo Aedes Danielis and Aedes Danielis Palace,[8] however the words palazzo or palace are redundant as the Latin word ‘aedes’ means house.[36] It is known by some locals as the il-Palazz tal-Markiża (transl. Palace of the Marquess).[37]

Architecture

The building goes back to the renaissance,[38] originally as a country residence, and is today a landmark welcoming visitors on one of the main streets to the city of Żejtun.[39][40] The façade is imposing on its surrounding environment.[41] The building, with its ancillary structures and gardens, is a scheduled property as published on the Government Gazette of Malta of July 2009.[42]

A large religious niche, with an imposing life size statue of biblical Prophet Daniel, is a prominent feature on the façade.[43] The statue is one of only two statues in Malta which are representative of an Old Testament personage.[12] The face of the statue is associated to that of Gregorio Bonici as depicted on a painting located at the Parish Church.[9] The niche is adorned with inscriptions, including dates, and other architectural elements, such as lions’ heads and a coat-of-arms.[44][45] The latter is a listed national monument.[46]

Adjoining the building is a chapel which is dedicated to the Our Lady of Good Counsel. It was built in 1768 to a Baroque design and financed by Enrico Testaferrata.[47][48] This forms part of the private property and is sometimes opened to the public.[49] The chapel is separately listed as a national monument.[50]

See also

References

  1. ^ Tepfenhart 2014, p. 307
  2. ^ Borg 2007
  3. ^ Chircop 2019
  4. ^ Abela 2011a, p. 71
  5. ^ Whitaker 1922, p. 496
  6. ^ Whitaker 1925, p. 513
  7. ^ Grima 2012, p. 75
  8. ^ a b Local Government 2018
  9. ^ a b Zammit 2016, pp. 70, 71
  10. ^ Abela 2008, pp. 41–44
  11. ^ Said-Zammit 2016, pp. 64, 65
  12. ^ a b c Grima 2019
  13. ^ Vassallo 1854, p. 740
  14. ^ Abela 2000a, pp. 85–88
  15. ^ Abela 2011b
  16. ^ Abela 1992a, pp. 54, 55
  17. ^ Falcon 2011, pp. 1–20
  18. ^ Abela 2009b, pp. 55–59
  19. ^ Abela 2013
  20. ^ Abela 2001, pp. 137–142
  21. ^ Abela 2012a, pp. 14–16
  22. ^ a b McKeon 2017, pp. 1–53
  23. ^ Spiteri Debono 2017, pp. 1–3
  24. ^ Baldacchino 2008, pp. 65–71
  25. ^ Zahra 2013
  26. ^ Baldacchino 2009, pp. 1, 2
  27. ^ Baldacchino 2001, pp. 20–25
  28. ^ Gauci 2019
  29. ^ Carabott 2018
  30. ^ Abela 2013a
  31. ^ Scicluna 2001, pp. 1–15
  32. ^ Aguis 2001, pp. 1–20
  33. ^ Azzopardi 2019, pp. 1–41
  34. ^ Marshall 2018, pp. 1330–1359
  35. ^ ICIJ 2016
  36. ^ Cascelli 2016
  37. ^ Farrugia 2007, pp. 42–44
  38. ^ Abela 2019
  39. ^ Nina & Sandra 2014
  40. ^ Chircop 2015
  41. ^ EC 2015, pp. 40, 41
  42. ^ Government of Malta 2009
  43. ^ Stranges 2017
  44. ^ Abela 2012b
  45. ^ Abela 2013b
  46. ^ NICPMI 2013a, pp. 1, 2
  47. ^ Borg 1975, pp. 163–169
  48. ^ Abela 2013c
  49. ^ Abela 2011c
  50. ^ NICPMI 2013b, pp. 1, 2

Bibliography

Books

Chapters in Books

Magazines

Journals and Periodicals

Gazettes

  • Government of Malta (July 2009). "Legal Notices" (PDF). Government Gazette. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019. ...as Aedes Danielis, Żejtun, including the gardens and the. Chapel tal-Bon Kunsil and...
  • "National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands" (PDF). The Malta Government Gazette. 21, 248 (G.N.640): 13,038. 24 May 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 August 2025.
  • "List of Decision Notifications for Development Permission Applications" (PDF). The Malta Government Gazette (20, 964). Planning Authority: 15,910. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 August 2025. ŻEJTUN PA/05120/21 REF: To join properties approved in PA7221/20 and DN755/20, minor internal alterations and addition of 1st floor level using same architectural grammar. Raising of adjacent garden wall. Ms Anna Maria Spiteri Debono, 178, Triq Santa Marija c/w 5, Triq Luqa Briffa c/w, Misrah Karlu Diacono, Zejtun
  • "Planning/Regularisation Applications" (PDF). The Malta Government Gazette (21, 365). Planning Authority: 30,044. 24 December 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2025. ŻEJTUN PA/04980/24 03/02/2025 Full: To sanction demolition of wall to facili[tate] installation of gate. Anna Maria Spiteri Debono, 14, Triq Licata, Zejtun. Riferut mill-proċess Sommarju għal dak Sħiħ / Referred from Summary to Full Process
  • "List of Decision Notifications for Development Permission Applications" (PDF). The Malta Government Gazette (21, 449). Planning Authority: 7465. 4 June 2025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2025. ŻEJTUN PA/04980/24 GTD: To reconstruct breach in wall on Triq Licata leaving an access door to said street. Proposed opening of access gate on Misrah Karlu Diacono an creation of parking area for private cars in existing unbuilt site. Anna Maria Spiteri Debono, 14, Triq Licata, Zejtun

News

Court and Tribunal cases

Online

Reports

Other

Documents

  • Lanfranco, Michael (28 November 2022). "Application Number: PA/5120/21" (PDF). Environment and Planning Review Tribunal. Architect + Civil Engineer: 1–3. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Location: 178, Triq Santa Marija c/w 5, Triq Luqa Briffa c/w, Misrah Karlu Diacono, Zejtun. Proposal: To join properties approved in PA7221/20 and DN755/20, minor internal alterations and addition of 1st floor level using same architectural grammar. Raising of adjacent garden wall. We refer to the decision issued by the Planning Authority which refused the application in caption for the following reason: 1. The proposed extension to the existing garden boundary wall and the additional volume above the onestorey built structures within the same garden compromises the historic and cultural heritage value of the Palazzo Ædes Danielis and its gardens and the openness and character of the Open Space Enclave as well as that of the immediate context, which comprises of narrow streets. The proposal, which is also being objected to by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, visually impinges on the immediate context, compromises the architectural grammar and original design of the 17th century historical palazzo and the historic and cultural heritage value of the existing Palazzo and therefore runs counter to the Urban Objective 3 of the Strategic Plan for Environment and Development which aims to protect and enhance the character and amenity of urban areas.
  • NAM (18 February 1971). "Transfer of land known as 'Tal-Fgura' bounded on west by St. Angelo Street, on east and south by Mater Boni Consilii Street, Zejtun. Baron L.Testaferrata Bonici". National Archives of Malta. Office of the Prime Minsiter. Archived from the original on 6 October 2025.
  • EPRT (20 July 2023). "EPRT Agenda - Inspections - 20/07/2023" (PDF). Environment and Planning Review Tribunal. pp. 1, 2. Archived from the original on 26 September 2025. Appeal Ref: PAB/00338/22, Re Ref: PA/05120/21, Appellant: Ms Anna Maria Spiteri Debono, Location: Zejtun, Time: 10.15am
  • EPRT (7 December 2023). "EPRT Agenda - Decisions - 07/12/2023" (PDF). Environment and Planning Review Tribunal. p. 1. Archived from the original on 6 October 2025. Appeal Ref: PAB/00338/22, Re Ref: PA/05120/21, Appellant: Ms Anna Maria Spiteri Debono, Locatiom: Zejtun, Time: 1.15pm

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