The Barony of Gomerino is a fiefdom in Malta. As of 2005, the Baroness is Myriam Chemel Callus Testaferrata Abela. Her daughter, Elizabeth Chemel, is Baronessina di Gomerino, the official heir.

The fief of Gomerino (originally Ghemieri) was granted to many families, their colorful history adding to the fief's prestige.

History

The following families were granted, or purchased the fief: Surdo in 1317; Solimella in 1318; Ragusa in 1318; Santa Sofia in 1398; Perello in 1481 and the present grant to the Testaferrata in 1710.

The fief, also known as "Sant Antonio tal-Ghemieri," was originally conferred in allodium by the Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt on Gio Maria Cassia from which it was inherited by his grand niece, Beatrice, who was confirmed as Baroness in 1710.

The present Grant was jointly created to Paolo Testaferrata and his wife Beatrice Cassia, 9th Baroness di Castel Cicciani ( See the history of Cassia) on 24th December 1710, with remainder to their descendants in perpetuity each holder of the title having the right to nominate a successor, in default of nomination to the first born male descendant, and in absence of male issue, to the first born female descendant. Members of the clergy are precluded from succession by primogeniture.

The title was succeeded with the second Baron with the Barony of Castel Cicciano, and by act of nomination to his brother as successor of the Barony of Gomerino, and later head of the House of Testaferrata.

After the destruction of the cathedral at Mdina, the chapter met and approved the plans to have it rebuilt and it was also decided to buy and demolish all the houses adjacent to the site to provide an extension of the piazza in front of the new cathedral. One of the houses needed belonged to Baron Paolo Testaferrata, who refused to sell his property despite an offer of 650 scudi. Baron Paolo did not want to negotiate and after an interval of several months, an angry mob pulled down part of his house. In 1694, it was recorded that the Baron was willing to give his house to extend the piazza. In the event Paolo never sold the house to the cathedral, it was eventually purchased by a third party who subsequently sold it to the Chapter in the first decade of the eighteenth century.

Fabritio, the second Baron di Castel Cicciano was appointed Desositario in 1714, in addition to being the administrator of the Grand Master's property. Baron Fabritio remained in office for the next twenty-nine years. With the appointment of Paolo Passionei as the new Inquisitor in 1743, Fabritio asked to be relieved of the duties of his post while retaining the rights and prerogatives to which he was entitled. These included that of keeping the reversions of the office in his own family, even in default of male heirs. Unfamiliar with these traditional prerogatives, Passionei proposed a certain Canon Grech to succeed Fabritio, who had no male heirs.

In August 1744 Fabritio died. His daughter Clara, who married Michele Sceberras, became the Baroness di Castel Cicciano, whilst the Gomerino was bequested to Fabrito's brother Ercole. The appointment of Signor Ercole Testaferrata, as Depositario in succession to Fabritio, was made directly by the Holy Office on 10 October 1744, and showed the importance that Rome attached to this post being held by a Testaferrata. His nomination created no problems because "he has his brother's surname." Passionei resented Ercole's appointment not only because he had never recommended him, also because Ercole's own brother had refused to renounce the patient in his favour on the grounds of Ercole's infirmities, old age and lack of certain personal qualities. The Holy Office was also asked to reconsider its decision in view of Ercole's precarious financial postion. According to the Inquisitor, the real wealth of the Testaferratas was in the entail which had all been inherited by the Sceberras family, and Ercole was dependant on his wife's dowry as his own income was earmarked for the payment of outstanding debts. But despite these protests Ercole was confirmed in his appointment, until he died on 11 October 1748.

The Inquisitor's remarks were only partially correct. An inventory drawn up by Notary Tommaso Gatt on 3 July 1750 gives us an idea of the wealth of Baron Ercole Testaferrata and his wife Veneranda dei Baroni Abela. They had an income of 2368 scudi, 5 tari about half of which (1202 scudi, 3 Taru) were provided by Ercole who inherited the Barony di Gomerino from his brother. As a fief of Gomerino, yielded 600 scudi annually one may infer that Ercole's personal income was only 602 scudi, 3 tar from the lands he inherited himself as the secondogenito. Apart from Gomerino, Ercole's other sources of income were four shops and two cellars under his house which was situated in St. Paul Street, "Behind the vegetable Market" in Valetta, and a house and two shops in Mdina. His rural territories consisted of sixteen holdings in Malta and Gozo. The fields of Busbesia in Mosta, Hamrija, Dahla and Ta Sellum in Boschetto, Ta Zchiehi in Sant'Andrea, Tbied Ismiar in Ghajn Dwieli, Ta Salvatur in Naxxar, the Gardens in Casal Nuovo, Issinet ta Ghelmus, Il Habel di San Cosmo, and ta Cassar.

The next Despositario to be chosen was Ercole's son Paolo. A long drawn-out dispute between Paolo and the Bologna family, over the fulfilment of a marriage contract, was brought before the Court of the Inquisition. The dispute was amicably settled through the personal intervention of Inquisitor Salviati, and the following year Paolo married Vincenza Matilda Bologna. But the Despositario was a very sick man, and in June 1760, Paolo died in Augusta, Sicily. The administration of the office was, strangely enough carried out by his wife, the Baroness Vincenza Matilda who subsequently gave birth to his son, Pietro Paolo Testaferrata. In 1762, she decided to give up the administration, but finally dissuaded by her husband's uncle Canon Testaferrata. Inquisitor Durini had, on several occasions, tried to persuade the Monsignor to accept the Office. Seeing that his niece's Retirement might jeopardize her son's future claim to the Office, Canon Testaferrata accepted the nomination but made it clear that his neice would have to remain as the procurator of her son. Durini could not approve such an arrangement and, in his letter of 17 June 1762, he expressed his concern of having a Despositario who was eighty-five years old and, for the best part of the year, confined to his bed. With his death in 1763, Baroness Vincenza Matilda accepted the administration until her son became of age.

It appears, that fourteen years later the Baroness was still a patentee of the Holy Office, and occupying the Post. But in 1778, she had retired in favour of her son, Pietro Paolo, who was only seventeen years old. He was the fourteenth member of the family to be appointed Despositario and remained in office until the tribunal itself was abolished by Napoleon in 1798.

The last Inquisitor, Guilio Carpegna, in one of his final despatches, had nothing but praise for the "faithful family," but especially for the Baronessa who was in Carpegna's opinion, "the prototype of a titled Maltese Lady."

The title succeeded from father to son, with expectations of nominations to younger sons until 1959, with the death of the 9th Baron, who was unmarried. The title was succeeded by his sister, who is currently the present holder and the 10th Baroness.

Adriana Maria Testaferrata-Abela’s heirs are her sister's descendants from her marriage to Dr. Frank Callus M.D, thus bringing the end of Testaferrata domination to the Gomerino title.

References

• Said Vassallo, C.M., Unpublished research papers.
• Said Vassallo, C.M., Charles Said-Vassallo's Research site and Maltese Nobility web site.

This Research was done by Charles Said-Vassallo (Text originally based on that of a website by Charles Said Vassallo, by permission.)