A very rare pamphlet in the Portuguese language was published in 1755 in Lisbon by the publisher Domingos Rodriguez, entitled Nova noticia, e estupenda relaçam do nacimento, vida, costumes, e morte de Gaspar del Cuviello, homem astuto, sagaz, e facinoroso, que por seos muitos crimes mereceo ser justiçado em cadafalso publico na nobre ilha de Malta (Latest news and great commentary of the birth, life, customs and death of Gaspar del Cuviello, a cunning, shrewd and fascinating man who for his many crimes was sentenced to the public gallows in the noble island of Malta).

A rare copper engraving of Grand Master Manuel Pinto de Fonseca (1741-1773) by Francesco Zucchi. 335mm by 230mm. Private Collection

The pamphlet consists of eight pages and has a large woodcut decorative vignette on the title page. The grand master during this period was Manuel Pinto de Fonseca (1741-1773), a Portuguese nobleman who ruled Malta for 32 long years.

This first and only edition, of which only two copies are known to exist, is a fascinating account of a master thief, Gaspare del Cuviello, who claimed to have come to Malta from Naples on a French ship, and who was fluent in Italian, Spanish, French, English, Basque and Latin. When he arrived in Malta, he claimed to be of noble birth and that he had occupied illustrious positions. He was immediately welcomed into the homes of the wealthy Maltese. After a considerable time, the Maltese saw that crime in the streets, and in the countryside, had increased so much that no one dared carry with him things of value, especially after sunset.

A fascinating account of a master thief, Gaspare del Cuviello, who claimed to have come to Malta from Naples

The clues for the robberies committed in the homes of the wealthy and on the roads of Malta pointed towards Cuviello, but his excuses and protests were so effective that they were enough to exonerate him at first. When the truth finally came out, the people who gave him shelter were very disappointed to see that their hospitality was met with such ingratitude.

He persisted in denying the charges in front of the Court of Inquisition, until it was decided to proceed with torture, and in the pamphlet we are given a detailed description of Spanish-style Inquisition torture. He was hung standing with arms stretched high with ropes, and with feet in fetters, was given little to eat, and every hour for the duration of seven minutes, whipped. This torture lasted 26 hours, which he tolerated with incredible endurance, when he was relieved solely due to compassion.

Days passed and he was continuously warned to confess to avoid being exposed to the same or more torment, but he consistently denied his involvement and kept his view, until, on March 14, he was for the second time put to torture. He suffered acute punishment and torture by fire for two days, but on the third day, he asked to be taken off and confessed that he had recruited a gang of 85 people who were enlisted to steal, and that he had a list with the names of them all which he kept in his house.

He had also kept an accurate record of the number and importance of the thefts that he had committed together with the identity of people who were the victims of the crimes; the details even showed how, and by whom he shared the said thefts, and other circumstances that served to answer all the questions that were put to him. The authorities went to his home where everything was found as he had been asserting. But he also claimed that the illicit income resulting from the many thefts that he had committed were not reserved for himself.

For the robberies and two murders which were committed he was sentenced to have a hand cut off alive, then to be hanged, and finally to be quartered, and the parts exposed in public places in Valletta. He was allowed to make a speech before his execution (this is also recorded in the pamphlet), in which he admitted to being a Protestant and accepted his death philosophically: “Naci nobre, crieime rico, vivi pobre, andey fugitivo, morro disgraçado na curta idade de trinta e dois annos....” (I was born noble and rich, I lived in poverty, I became a fugitive from justice, and I will die in disgrace at the young age of 32 years).

It is not clear whether this is a fictional account or a true crime story, and I have been unable to locate any other references to Cuviello or Coviello in local archives, including those of the Inquisition. Certainly, in the mid-18th century, gang crime in Malta had increased to alarming levels. In the chapter ‘Burglary, theft and robbery’ of the excellent book on crime torture and punishment, Kissing the Gallows, William Zammit lists several episodes of burglary and murder which are spine-chilling.

Although perhaps fictional in character and printed more for its morality value, the story may have been inspired by true stories and news of atrocious deeds that were plaguing Malta which would have arrived in the Iberian peninsula.

The story may have been inspired by true stories and news of atrocious deeds that were plaguing Malta

Marble plaque with the words Non gode l’immunita ecclesias on the façade of a wayside chapel.

The biggest obstacle for justice and redress was church sanctuary, where criminals could not be brought to justice. There were cases where a criminal left his place of sanctuary to watch the execution of others and then tranquilly go back to the church where his family and neighbours would bring all his daily necessities to keep him comfortable. This led to the eventual permanent abolishment of ecclesiastical immunity and sanctuary which criminals had been very conveniently abusing of. In fact, notices were put up on the façade of many wayside chapels, Non gode l’immunita ecclesias, advising criminals to dispel any ideas of taking refuge in the sanctity of the chapel.

The ending of the story puts this pamphlet into the category of morality pamphlets, as they were called, which were quite common in that period, because they were meant to show that there will always be divine retribution for the sins that are committed, though redemption remained a possibility if one repents of the sins committed.

The name ‘Coviello’ is certainly found in the Commedia dell’arte at the end of the 16th century. The character never had a real role, and was portrayed as a smart, intriguing, false braggart, very good in handling the mandolin and the sword. ‘Coviello’ is also found in a comedy by Molière, Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, where this character, Monsieur Jourdain, is a middle ground between the deceiver who wants to be clever, and the clever one who wants to be a deceiver.

The commedia dell’arte character Coviello.

Le Bourgeois gentilhomme by Jean-Baptist Molière.

The same publisher of this pamphlet printed another eight-page pamphlet in 1757 titled Noticia certa de hum fatal successo, acontecido na cidade de Constantinopla, e o espantoso fenomeno, que nella se vio no dia vinte e seis de Novembro proximo de 1756 (Certain news of the fatal episode that occurred in the city of Constantinople, and the frightful phenomenon, which was seen on the 26th day of November of 1756) which describe the tremors that struck the Ottoman capital in November 1756. The Portuguese, still traumatised by their own earthquake of December 21, 1755, were naturally hungry for news of similar phenomena, but the author loses no opportunity to explain that the events were either “merely natural, or the instruments of divine omnipotence, for the punishment of our faults”.