Gozo's Old Prison: A Glimpse into the Past

Located within the walls of the Cittadella in Victoria, Gozo, the Old Prison is the oldest surviving prison on the island. It stands adjacent to the Courts of Justice, to which it was originally connected. From the mid-16th century until the beginning of the 20th century, the prison was in use. The Knights of St. John used it to house their rowdy members. One of its most notorious inmates was Fra Jean Parisot de La Valette, who later became Grand Master of Malta and the founder of Valletta. He was imprisoned there for four months in 1538 after attacking a man. The prison complex is divided into two sections: an entrance hall and a free-standing block with six individual cells. The entrance hall served as a communal cell from the 19th century and now hosts an interpretative exhibition on graffiti in Gozo. The individual cells, overlooking a central courtyard and surrounded by a narrow corridor, still retain much of their original state. The massive low doors with their heavy locks are also original. An important feature of the Old Prison is the amount of graffiti with which the walls of the cells and corridors are covered. The graffiti depict sea vessels of different types and from different periods, handprints, Knights crosses, names, mathematical calculations, wind roses, flags, windmills, and other figures. These provide an intriguing glimpse into the conditions in which inmates were kept.