Forget the political situation for a moment. Seen from the outside, the Auberge de Castille is looking good - better than it has been for generations.

Workers have completed extensive restoration of the intricate stonework over the main door, and the magnificence of the building was revealed when scaffolding and hoarding were removed over the past few days.

The restoration of the façades of the auberge was taken in hand in 2009. The Merchants' Street side was completed last year and only a small part of the main façade, at the corner with St Paul Street, remains to be restored. The restoration of the façade on St Paul Street is being taken in hand.

The project is in the hands of the Restoration Unit of the Ministry of Resources.

The building was given its flamboyant Baroque style when it was remodelled in the eighteenth century, having originally been a smaller structure fronting St Paul Street. It was seen as an expression of power and prestige, exalting Grand Master Pinto, whose symbol, the crescent moon, is displayed throughout the building. A bust of the Grand Master is seen above the main door.

The building suffered the ravages of time, particularly the intense sun, the sea air as well as emissions from traffic and the Marsa power station, causing sculptured decorations to crumble and the façades to be blackened with grime. The building was also hit by a bomb in the second world war, although the façades were not demolished.

Restoration is due to be completed at the end of this year.