Old Prison
Encyclopedia
The Old Prison is situated in the Citadel of Victoria
, Gozo
, adjacent to the Courts of Justice, to which it was originally connected. Now the prison complex appears divided into two different buildings: the entrance hall, which had been a common cell in the 19th century and a free-standing block with six individual cells.
This prison was in use from the mid-16th century until 1962.
First it used to host the roudest or most riotus knights to cool down therein, even the most historical one, Fra Jean Parisot de La Valette
, later Grand Master of Malta, was imprisoned there in 1538.
The site is well-preserved in its original state and one can find there a large amount of graffiti etched into the limestone
walls. Representations are often of ships, hand-prints, crosses, names, dates, games, and anthropomorphic figures
.
Victoria, Malta
Victoria or Città Victoria is the capital of Gozo, an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The town has a total population of 6,414 , and by population is the largest locality in Gozo....
, Gozo
Gozo
Gozo is a small island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
, adjacent to the Courts of Justice, to which it was originally connected. Now the prison complex appears divided into two different buildings: the entrance hall, which had been a common cell in the 19th century and a free-standing block with six individual cells.
This prison was in use from the mid-16th century until 1962.
First it used to host the roudest or most riotus knights to cool down therein, even the most historical one, Fra Jean Parisot de La Valette
Jean Parisot de la Valette
Fra' Jean Parisot de Valette was a French nobleman and 49th Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 1557 to 1568. He succeeded La Vallette as grandmaster and continued the construction of Valletta...
, later Grand Master of Malta, was imprisoned there in 1538.
The site is well-preserved in its original state and one can find there a large amount of graffiti etched into the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
walls. Representations are often of ships, hand-prints, crosses, names, dates, games, and anthropomorphic figures
.