The Notarial Archives-an untapped source for Gozo's lost History

Primary sources held in local archives documenting Gozo’s medieval history are rather sparse. Much of what we know about life in Gozo comes to us through the documents of the Gozitan Capitula, which were demands made by the representatives of Gozo to the King or his viceroy and surviving ecclesiastical records. It is therefore truly exciting that the ongoing rehabilitation project at the Notarial Archives in Valletta has unearthed new documentation which reflects everyday life in Gozo and helps us fill in gaping holes in the island’s history, especially before the sack of 1551. This lecture seeks to present some of this novel material which is currently being studied by Dr. Joan Abela.

Joan Abela read History at BA and MA level at the University of Malta focusing on port activities in mid-sixteenth century Malta. In 2008 she was awarded a Scholarship from the Centre for Maritime Historical Studies at the University of Exeter, where, under the supervision of Dr Maria Fusaro, she read for a PhD. Her research interests focus mainly on sixteenth-century Malta, with particular reference to port activities and notarial primary sources.  Joan is President of the Notarial Archives Resources Council and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Malta’s Legal History and Methodology Department. In 2014 Joan was awarded The Boydell & Brewer Prize for best doctoral thesis in Maritime History awarded by a British university from the British Commission for Maritime History.

Seat reservation, by sending an email to membership@wirtghawdex.org, is recommended.