Capitani Della Verga

The Consiglio Popolare and the Universita’

The Consiglio Popolare was the island’s traditional Council.

No records are extant of the early days of the institution, and the first mention of the Consiglio occurred when King Alphonsus of Aragon had mortaged the islands to Antonio Cardona in 1420. But it was certainly in existence since the 13th century.

The council controlled to a certain degree of independence the internal affairs of the islands.

consiglioaThe known functions of the Consiglio were:

  • to send envoys, styled ambassadors, to the Viceroy of Sicily, and to the king himself;
  • to ask for redress of grievances, and to suggest government measures;
  • to choose the municipal officers fo the ensuing years;
  • to audit the accounts of outgoing officers, and to criticize their administration, and occasionally, to impose taxes and perhaps make laws.

Powers were delegated by the Consiglio to the Jurats of the Universita’, who were elected judges and defended the integrity of the respect due to ancient customs.

The Capitano della Verga, styled il-Hakem, previous to the coming of the Knights of St John was the Governor of Malta. He did not intervene in the sittings of the Universita’, which was composed of four jurats, the secreto, the portulano, the massaro, the credenziere, the vice-admiral, the bajulo, the accatapani, and the constables.

When the Knights came to Malta in 1530 the Capitano became the Lieutenant Governor and assumed precedence above everyone. When the Grandmaster was seated on the throne he was seated on his right. He was the Commander in Chief of the Country Districts and was invested with both crimininal and civil jurisdiction, having a court of his own. He presided over the Consiglio Popolare. The Jurats were not only municipal authorities and senators but also served as the privy council to the Grandmaster.

The Electors were all heads of families: the elected were chosen from nobles, honoured citizens, professional people or those exercising a liberal art, secular priests, businessmen and artisans.

The election, which took place every year on the feast of Saint John (24 June), was made orally
and the votes were collected in the towns and in the casals, by the constable.

The privileges of the Consiglio Popolare , after the surrender of Valletta, were suddenly suspended, and were later suppressed in 1818.

All records of the Consiglio and the Universita’ are conserved in the National Library.

 

 

Capitani della Verga
Captains of the Rod – Hakem
1356 – 1818

1356 Giacomo Pellegrino
1372 1376 Guglielmo Murina
1399 Giulio Ricciari
1403 1406 Francesco Gatto
1406 1413 Francesco Giovanni di Santa Colomba
1413 1414 Diego de Portocarrero
1414 1415 Diego de Terrazza
1415 1418 Lupo Terrazza
1418 1428 Ruggiero de Serriano
1428 1429 Paolo de Pellegrino
1429 1431 Antonio d’Esguanez
1431 1433 Francesco Gatto
1433 1438 Antonio d’Esguanez
1438 1439 Francesco Platamone
1439 1440 Antonio d’Esguanez
1440 1442 Angaraldo d’Esguanez
1442 1454 Antonio d’Esguanez
1454 1455 Carlo di Paterno
1455 1456 Nardo de Bordino
1456 1457 Stefano Pirrera
1457 1458 Giovanni de Xabica
1458 1460 Pietro Giovanni de Mazara
1460 1461 Pietro de Valdez
1461 1462 Bartolomeo de Clementis
1462 1466 Paolo de Nasis
1466 1467 Raimondo de Parisio
1467 1468 Giovanni di Mazara
1468 1470 Tristano de Guevara
1470 1471 Giorgio de Xabica
1471 1473 Giovanni di Mazara
1473 1474 Simone di Mazara
1474 1475 Giovanni di Mazara
1475 1476 Giorgio de Xabica
1476 1477 Giovanni di Mazara
1477 1479 Simone di Mazara
1479 1480 Giovanni de Guevara
1480 1481 Giorgio de Xabica
1481 1482 Torreo de Guevara
1482 1484 Pietro de Ribera
1484 1486 Pietro de Valdes
1486 1487 Simone di Mazara
1487 1493 Carlo de Guevara
1493 1500 Antonio Gatto d’Esguanez
1500 1513 Giovanni de Guevara
1513 1514 Giacomo Falsone
1514 1516 Manfredo Caxaro
1516 1517 Matteo de Guevara
1517 1518 Giovanni di Mazara
1518 1519 Ambrogio Falsone
1519 1520 Luguterra de Nava
1520 1521 Giovanni di Mazara
1521 1522 Pietro de Stuniga
1522 1523 Leonardo de Bordino
1523 1524 Ambrogio Falsone
1524 1525 Giovanni di Mazara
1525 1526 Michele Falsone
1526 1527 Pietro Falsone
1527 1528 Giovanni de Nava
1528 1530 Antonio d’Esguanez
1530 1531 Leonardo Calava
1531 1532 Paolo de Nasis
1532 1533 Antonio Falsone
1533 1534 Antonio Manduca
1534 1536 Matteo Falsone
1536 1538 Antonio Manduca
1538 1540 Antonio Goffredo Inguanez
1540 1542 Matteo Falsone
1542 1545 Antonio Manduca
1545 1548 Vincenzo Vasco
1548 1550 Antonio Inguanez
1550 1557 Girolamo d’Alagona
1557 1563 Matteo Falsone
1563 1565 Antonio de Guevara
1565 1568 Matteo Falsone
1568 1570 Antonio de Guevara
1570 1571 Alfonso Giovanni de Nava
1571 1573 Francesco d’Aragona
1573 1574 Giuseppe de Nava
1574 1576 Alfonso Pietro de Nava
1576 1578 Ferdinando de Guevara
1578 1579 Francesco d’Aragona
1579 1580 Ferrante de Guevara
1580 1581 Salvatore Montagnes
1581 1582 Francesco d’Aragona
1582 1584 Alfonso de Nava
1584 1587 Barone Gregorio Xerri
1587 1590 Ugolino Navarra
1590 1592 Giovanni Maria Cassia
1592 1595 Barone Gregorio Xerri
1595 1597 Pietro de Guevara
1597 1598 Ambrogio Falsone
1598 1599 Barone Antonio Inguanez
1599 1601 Barone Gregorio Xerri
1601 1603 Pietro de Guevara
1603 1605 Giovanni Domenico Xerri
1605 1609 Barone Gregorio Xerri
1609 1611 Michele Cassar
1611 1613 Barone Gregorio Xerri
1613 1615 Giovanni Maria Cassia
1615 1623 Barone Gregorio Xerri
1623 1624 Antonio Cumbo
1624 1625 Giovanni Domenico Felice
1625 1627 Giovanni Vincenzo Castelletti
1627 1629 Francesco Mamo
1629 1633 Antonio Torrensi
1633 1635 Francesco Perdicomati
1635 1636 Diego Ferriolo
1636 1638 Giacomo Testaferrata de Robertis
1638 1640 Diego Antonio Ferriol
1640 1642 Ignazio Bonnici
1642 1644 Lorenzo Cassar
1644 1647 Silvestro Fiteni
1647 1652 Barone Silvestro Fiteni
1652 1653 Pietro Cassar
1653 1654 Giovanni Battista Micallef
1654 1656 Gregorio Bonnici
1656 1658 Gio. Batta Micallef
1658 1659 Antonio Xara
1659 1660 Barone Pietro Cassia
1660 1662 Gio Domenico Muscat
1662 1663 Gio Maria Cardona
1663 1664 Gio Domenico Muscat
1664 1668 Antonio Xara
1669 1671 Gio Domenico Muscat
1671 1673 Stanislao Xara
1673 1675 Pietro Monpalao
1675 1677 Giacinto Macedonia
1677 1678 Alessandro Monpalao
1678 1680 Antonio Xara
1680 1682 Domenico Bonnici
1682 1684 Pietro Monplao
1684 1686 Gio Batta. Bonnici
1686 1689 Baldassere Theuma
1689 1692 Mario Testaferrata
1692 1698 Giovanni Gourgion
1698 1700 Martino Antonio Perdicomati
1700 1701 Calcerano Monpalao
1702 1705 Barone Fabrizio Testaferrata
1705 1709 Barone Marc’Antonio Inguanez
1709 1710 Giacomo Cassar
1710 1713 Antonio Bonnici
1713 1715 Barone Marc’Antonio Inguanez
1715 1717 Antonio Muscat
1717 1721 Pietro Monpalao
1721 1730 Barone Marc’Antonio Inguanez
1730 1733 Barone Pietro Paolo Galea
1733 1740 Barone Ferdinando Castelletti
1740 1761 Barone Marc’Antonio Inguanez
1761 1763 Salvatore Manduca (Reggente)
1764 1775 Baron Gio. Francesco D’Amico
1775 1797 Baron Pasquale Sciberras Testaferrata
1797 1799 Baron Gregorio Bonnici
1799 1801 Baron Francesco Gauci
1801 1814 Count Giovanni Francesco Sant
1814 1815 Giuseppe Bonnici (Reggente)
1815 1818 Giuseppe Muscat

precedence-cdv

An overview of the Governance of Malta between 1091 and 1814