Eman Bonnici. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

A young researcher claims to have found a document referring to Malta’s most famous Grand Master as “Juan de Lavallete”, which he says should put an end to the battle over the French nobleman’s name.

Popularly known as Jean de La Valette, scholars have in recent months argued over whether the Grand Master who led the 1565 Great Siege against the Ottomans had the prefix “La” in his name.

Amateur researcher Eman Bonnici had contacted the newspaper last year following an article by scholar and former European Court of Human Rights judge Giovanni Bonello, who had categorically ruled out the possibility of the Grand Master having been referred to as Jean de La Valette during his lifetime.

Mr Bonnici, 25, had told the newspaper that the prefect of the Vatican’s secret archives, Archbishop Sergio Pagano, told him that “in pontifical correspondence addressed to him, the person is always referred to as Jean de La Valette”.

Mr Bonnici later asked for a copy of one of these archived documents and in the meantime turned to France and Spain to expand the research.

He managed to trace a condolence letter from the Grand Master which is being kept at the Archivo General de Simancas, Spain, which carried a reference to him as de La Vallete.

“On one side of the document there is a note referring to him as Master of Rhodes Juan de La Vallete. It is dated 1557 – so it fits Dr Bonello’s request,” he said.

The newspaper asked the Reference Department whether both the note referring to the Grand Master as Juan de La Vallete and the document it was found on (EST, LEG, 1124, 55) – which is signed by the Grand Master as Jehan Vallete – were both written in 1557.

The document and the text of the note were written in 1557, the head of the archival section said.

It’s very easy to prove me wrong. Just find one instance

When he had been contacted, Dr Bonello had invited “anyone to find one single reference during the Grand Master’s lifetime when he referred to himself, or was referred to, as de la Valette or as La Valetta. If someone does, I will apologise. It’s very easy to prove me wrong – just find one instance.”

Mr Bonnici noted that signatures vary, and people sometimes used just their initials, but they were not referred to by the first letter of their name.

“I think we focused too much on the signature. Some people’s signatures are illegible... that doesn’t mean their name is unknown,” he asked. “In the document, the Grand Master signs as ‘Jehan Vallete’. Should we start referring to him like this now?”