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In the first half of the 15th century, over 50 Maltese people and their families settled down in the Sicilian city of Trapani.  The reasons behind their decision to move there can be found in the new book by Arnold Cassola, I Maltesi di Trapani (1419-1455),  published by the Malta University Press.

Nearly six centuries ago, these Maltese and their families were welcomed by the local community in Trapani, which distinguished itself for its tolerance and for the acceptance of ‘otherness’ and of this Maltese community coming from the south.

In the flourishing town of Trapani, the Maltese found refuge, comfort, prosperity and wealth and were involved in various business transactions, commercial deals and different types of investments.

Many of these Maltese made Trapani their permanent residence and a proof of this is also the fact that today the surname Maltese is to be found no less than 60 times in the Trapani telephone directory.

The Maltese found refuge, comfort, prosperity and wealth

The details concerning these medieval Maltese have been gleaned from the registers of the Trapanese notaries Scannatello, De Nuris, De Giordano and Scarcella.  These notaries perceived in a natural way the existence of a different identity, which they associated with ‘Malteseness’, despite the fact that politically and legally the Maltese of the time were in reality part of the Sicilian feudal system.

The fact that the Maltese identity was already recognised as such already at the beginning of the 15th century by the Trapanese notaries is quite an important phenomenon. It must certainly not be underestimated in the evaluation of the formative process of the Maltese collective identity in past centuries.

I Maltesi di Trapani (1419-1455) is available from booksellers and from Malta University Press by sending an e-mail to mup@um.edu.mt.