A photograph believed to be the only remaining image of a seemingly forgotten Maltese patriot will be donated to Malta by his relatives, who hope to give his unmarked grave the dignity that it deserves.

What is believed to be the only photo of Giorgio Mitrovich

Giorgio Mitrovich, of Senglea, co-founded the first Comitato Generale Maltese and advocated for freedom of the press during the initial years of the British colonisation of the islands.

Two of his great-great-grandchildren have travelled to Malta from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, to offer what they believe to be the only remaining photograph of Mr Mitrovich, taken 133 years ago by Leandro Preziosi.

The image will be donated to the National Archives of Malta.

Garth Metrovich, Giorgio’s great-great-grandson, who will be visiting the island with hissister, Jacqueline, and niece, Annica Stoltz, told the Times of Malta the story accompanying the photograph was quite sad.

When Giorgio Mitrovich’s son, Egidion, who was born in Malta but later moved to South Africa, passed away, he was survived by his son, Gilbert Ruben.

Orphaned at two, the only information Gilbert Mitrovich had about his father’s identity was his birth certificate and a photograph of his grandfather.

The back of the photo

Gilbert was raised by his aunt in South Africa, and the family name was changed from Mitrovich to Metrovich when she registered his baptism.

The Mitrovich descendants are also planning to visit Giorgio’s grave at the Addolorata Cemetery, where they will lay wreaths, most probably for the first time in over a century, as a tribute to his work and legacy.

Mr Metrovich, 37, speaks proudly of his ancestor: “He was a sincere patriot. His image even featured on a Maltese postage stamp in 1985.”

Stories about Giorgio’s legacy have been passed down through the generations, and his descendants have always been aware of the role he played in Malta as a politician. Mr Metrovich was given the photograph when he was 10 and enquired about his surname and family history.

Giorgio Mitrovich’s descendants became aware of the dilapidated state of his gravesite in 2015 when they read an article by Fabian Mangion in The Sunday Times of Malta. The family plan to place a headstone at his unmarked grave. Mr Mangion said it was high time a memorial was erected “in honour of this zealous Maltese patriot, the pride of Senglea”.

Giorgio Mitrovich featured on a Maltese postage stamp in 1985.

Giorgio Mitrovich co-founded the Comitato Generale Maltese and with four other members drew up and signed a petition, the 1832 Memorial, demanding administrative reforms.

Mr Mangion noted that in July of 1835, Giorgio Mitrovich footed the bill himself to travel to London to plead the Maltese cause and forge contacts with members of the House of Commons, who, at the time, knew nothing, or very little, about Malta. As a result of his efforts, the British government sent a Royal Commission to hold an inquiry into the local administration.

The Mitrovich family

Captain Giorgio Mitrovich seems to have been active in Malta during the early 1770s and right up to the last years of the Maltese corso (licensed piracy).

No record exists of him as a captain before the 1770s, though he is registered as the father of Saverio Mitrovich in the Greek parish records of 1769 in Valletta. He claimed that he was from Kotor, Montenegro, and established himself in Senglea.

Malta was the perfect place for him to hone his skills as a corsair, or better still, a privateer. He involved his older sons in the corso, and the Mitrovich family may have been the leading contributor to the profession of Maltese corso captain between 1775 and 1798.

One of Captain Giorgio Mitrovich’s sons, Giacomo, was decorated by Grand Master de Rohan in 1796 with a gold medal for a victory he had achieved over a Barbary galliot (a small galley).

But the Mitrovich family made another contribution to Maltese history: Captain Giorgio Mitrovich was the grandfather and god-father of the future Maltese patriot Giorgio Mitrovich. The latter was born in 1795, at the height of his grandfather’s military career.

This article is based on research conducted by Maritime Museum curator Liam Gauci.