The Old Prison

Few places in Gozo are as atmospheric as the Old Prison. It is the oldest surviving prison on the island, tucked inside the Citadel in Victoria, and its cells and corridors are covered in marks left by the people held there. Heritage Malta looks after the site, and it appears in our list of museums in Malta.

The prison stands next to the Courts of Justice, to which it was originally connected, and it makes a thoughtful stop alongside the rest of the Citadel. For the island as a whole, see our Gozo guide.

A prison with a long history

The prison was in use from the middle of the 16th century until the beginning of the 20th. Soon after the Knights of St John arrived in Malta they used it to confine unruly members of their own order. One notorious inmate was Fra Jean Parisot de La Valette, later Grand Master, who in 1538 spent four months here after attacking a man. Our Knights of Malta guide gives the wider story of the order.

From the mid-19th century the old prison held people awaiting trial, while another building on the far side of the Citadel served as the new prison. That second prison stayed in operation until 1962.

What you will see

The graffiti are the highlight. This is the largest known collection of historical graffiti in one place on the Maltese Islands. Most show sea vessels from different periods, but you may also spot palm prints, crosses, names, dates, games and human-like figures. Some prisoners seem to have scratched a record of how long they were held.

In its present form, the complex has two parts. An entrance hall, once a common cell in the 19th century, now displays casts of graffiti, a 16th-century carrack graffito and prison objects, including part of a wooden stocks. Beyond it stands a free-standing block with six individual cells. A small merchandise area and gift shop are on site.

Common questions about the graffiti

The graffiti were engraved with hard, sharp objects such as bone points, cutlery or pointed stones. The hand symbol can stand in for a personal signature, especially for people who could not write, or serve as a superstitious charm for protection or good luck. There is no sufficient evidence so far that torture was practised in this prison. The people known to have been held here are those who signed the walls, together with others identified from judicial records.

Who runs it

The Old Prison is one of the sites managed by Heritage Malta, the national agency for museums, conservation and cultural heritage. The agency cares for archaeological sites, baroque auberges and palaces, catacombs, forts and UNESCO-listed Neolithic monuments across the islands, and its description of this site promises a glimpse into the conditions in which inmates were kept. The Citadel setting also means you can combine the visit with a wander around the walled hilltop of Victoria (our page on hotels in Gozo helps with a base), and the closest bus stop is only a few minutes from the entrance.

Visiting: prices, access and tours

Tickets cost €5.00 for adults aged 18 and over. Youths aged 12 to 17, senior citizens aged 60 and over, and concessions and students pay €3.50, children aged 6 to 11 pay €2.50, and infants aged 1 to 5 go free. Heritage Malta members and passport holders enter free, and a combined ticket covers the Citadel sites.

Access is partial, because some areas cannot be fully reached by visitors with mobility impairments. If you would like a guided tour, you can request one from Heritage Malta's tour guides. Our things to do in Malta page has more ideas for your trip, including the Blue Lagoon, and the Malta weather guide helps you choose a month. For time on the water in Gozo, look at Apnea Total Malta freediving or Aloha Boat Charters Malta. To ask a question, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message on.