Exercising Jurisdiction and Making Justice in the Military Orders: The Knights of Malta and Sicily (16th–18th Centuries)

The aim of this article is to provide a general survey of the courts that administered justice in the Order of Malta and in the territories over its jurisdiction, both at the central and local levels, between the 16th and 18th centuries. Starting from the Order’s legal texts (ancient customs, statutes and ordinances), In particular, the composition of these tribunals, the procedures they followed and, albeit to a lesser extent, the punishments imposed (such as the most sever of the deprivation of the habit), will be focused, while highlighting the overlaps, conflicts and competition with other ecclesiastical jurisdictions (episcopal, inquisitorial and Roman). In the last part of the article, the case study of Sicily will be illustrated, particularly significant for its close relationship with the island of the knights