At the foot of the Cittadella (Castle Hill) there is Victoria’s Main Square, “It-Tokk”, today renamed Independence Square. At one end of this square, just opposite St. James Church there is a semi-circular baroque structure, “Il-Banca Giuratale”.

This was built in 1733 under Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena (1722-1736), and Governor of Gozo Paolo Antonio de Viguier. The design was of the engineer of the Order of St. John, Charles Francois de Mondion. This site was a rectangular building but because lack of space the front semi-circular part of the building was added during the 1860’s. On the same site, before 1733 there was another Banca. In front of it there were stone seats, where judges passed sentences.

In the Banca the Jurats had their offices, and they used to meet here to discuss matters pertaining to the Universitas and general administration of the island. Gozo had the same form of local Government well before the arrival of the Order of St. John. It was then known as the Universitas. This was composed of the Hakem and four Jurats, elected by the local people each year and confirmed by the Viceroy of Sicily, and, later on, by the Grand Master.

The Hakem was also called Captain of the Rod. The Hakem and the Jurats used to meet at this Banca. This type of government dated from the time of the Aragonese who then ruled the Maltese Islands. This was institued on the 27th November 1397 when Martin I Aragonese reincorporated Malta with the Crown. In 1551 the Knights of St John abolished the post of Hakem, or Captain of the Rod, and set up the new institution of Governor of Gozo who was always a knight of the Order.

The first Governor was Fra Galatiano de Se who in that same year 1551 was taken into slavery following the Siege of Gozo. The Universitas was abolished by Governor Sir Thomas Maitland (1813-1824) in 1818. When the local government stopped functioning, this building was used to house various government departments, such as the Public Archives, the Main Police Station, the Post Office, , the Gozo Civic Council and the Agriculture Department. Now it houses, the Culture Section and the Information Office at the ground floor, while on the first floor, there is the seat of the Victoria Local Council.

Back to Gozo News: Please Click Here