English: Palazzo Capua, Sliema, in 1900, at the time residence of Marchese A. Mattei. Photographed by Richard Ellis.

Marchese Mattei owned most of the land around Victoria Avenue (the street shown in the photo). He built the two houses further down the street where eventually Gorg Borg Olivier lived. The palace was originally built for the prince of Capua, who came to live in Malta in the 1800s. The architect was Francesco Zammit a relative of Perit Andre Zammit and he is featured in his book on the Zammit family's architectural legacy. Zammit built the Mattei's house in a Neo-Gothic revival style as well as a small chapel in Birzebugia in the same style apart from others.He also designed Villa Luginsland in Rabat for the German Ambassador at the time and the two beautiful villas in High Street for Alfons Maria Galea and the Borg Cardona's next to it. Now Villino Zammit and Fatima House, previously Villa Betharram. He also designed a beautiful house in Rudolph Street near Galizia's Alhambra and the Salesians' Juventutis Domus in Sliema. In the XX century, Palazzo Capua served as Sliema's orfanotrophy. Today surrounded by the hospital and other buildings, it serves as a congress venue.

MVH