By Prof. Arnold Cassola
Book launchon the 24th October 2018 at the Faculty of Arts library at 6.30 p.m. The speakers will be Prof. Joseph M. Brincat, Prof. Adrian Grima and Prof. Bernard Micallef. The launch is open to the general public
On 18th November 1610 Marietta Bonello, with her four siblings Giovanni Paolo, Bartolomeo, Angelica and Annetta, and Imperia Camilleri, together with her son Michele, received the GrandMaster’s licence (“patente”) to be able to travel to Santa Croce Camerina, in Sicily. What was pushing these two women to go to Santa Croce, with their respective children?
In his new book, which is based on research work at the Parochial Archives of Vittoria, Arnold Cassola, in collaboration with Salvatore Palmeri di Villalba, uncovers the names of over 300 Maltese who were buried in Vittoria and its neighbouring seaside town, Scoglitti, in the course of two centuries, from 1628 till 1846.
From the data gathered, one can conclude that, at least until mid-19th century, migration from Malta was still quite common and, although having been integrated for years in the daily life of Vittoria, the Maltese community did not renounce its original ‘Maltese’ identity.
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