Castellanie

Castellanie (singular castellania) is a historical term for a castle-based jurisdiction or administrative district. The word derives from Latin castellania and Italian castellania, denoting governance exercised by a castellan, the keeper of a castle or fortress, or the area under such governance.

In Maltese history, castellanie described territorial units administered under the Knights Hospitaller. Each castellania centered on a fortress and was managed by a castellan who supervised local justice, taxation, and defense. The best-known example is the Castellania in Valletta, a building that housed the civil and criminal courts and served as a center of governmental administration during the order’s rule. The term also referred to fortress-based jurisdictions across Malta and in areas under Mediterranean influence where castles functioned as administrative hubs.

Outside Malta, castellanie is used in historical contexts to describe similar medieval and early modern districts organized around fortifications in Italian-speaking regions and other parts of Europe. In modern scholarship, castellanie is understood as a historical concept illustrating how military and civil authority were combined in fortress towns and their surrounding territories. Today the Castellania in Valletta is preserved as a historic landmark and is frequently cited in architectural and historical discussions.