Saviour Montebello (1762–1809) was a Maltese Doctor of Theology, a professor of philosophy at the

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...

, and a

Parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

Bormla Cospicua ( mt, Bormla ), also known by its titles Città Cospicua or Civitas Cottonera, is a double-fortified harbour city in the South Eastern Region of Malta. Along with Birgu and Senglea, it is one of the Three Cities, located within the Grand ...

. After

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

took over the

Maltese islands Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

in 1798, Montebello took an active part in the resistance of the Maltese against the French around his home-town at

Żejtun Żejtun ( mt, Iż-Żejtun ) is a city in the South Eastern Region of Malta, with a population of 11,218 at end 2016. Żejtun is traditionally known as Città Beland, a title conferred by the grandmaster of the Order of the Knights of Malta, F ...

. Afterwards, when the French Napoleonic forces had been ousted, and the British set up a provisional government in

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, he was the first to be appointed to the Chair of Philosophy at the University of Malta. He held the office for almost four years, mainly teaching

logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premise ...

and

metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the fundamental nature of reality, the first principles of being, identity and change, space and time, causality, necessity, and possibility. It includes questions about the nature of conscio ...

. He relinquished the Chair because he was appointed parish priest of

, the last to hold the office under this title because subsequently the parish was promoted to a Collegiate led by Archpriests. He held the office of parish priest for only five years due to his premature death at the age of 46.

Life

Birth and formation

Saviour Montebello, son of Joseph (1730–1768) and Catherine née Caruana (1731–?), was born at

, on 9 June 1762. His parents had married at Żejtun parish church of

St. Catherine of Alexandria Catherine of Alexandria (also spelled Katherine); grc-gre, ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς ; ar, سانت كاترين; la, Catharina Alexandrina). is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, w ...

on 26 September 1752. and Saviour was their fourth child out of six. He was baptised on the same day of his birth at Żejtun's parish church by the deputy

parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

, Joseph Saliba, and given the names Saviour, Francis Xavier and Anthony. His godparents were Joseph Buttigieg, son of Luke, and Rose, wife of Francis Bugeja, both from the Żejtun parish. At the age of 19, in 1781, Montebello entered the bishop's seminary at

Floriana Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana ...

to study for the priesthood. As was required at the time, his family donated him with a patrimony which could pay for his seminary expenses. This consisted of four properties: two partitions of grasslands around ''

Tas-Silġ Tas-Silġ is a rounded hilltop on the south-east coast of the island of Malta, overlooking Marsaxlokk Bay, and close to the town of Żejtun. Tas-Silġ is a major multi-period sanctuary site with archaeological remains covering four thousand year ...

'' (limits of Żejtun), and two edifices at Żejtun's village centre. The patrimony was temporarily entrusted to the administration of Michael Pulis, the husband of Montebello's older sister, Mary. Montebello was ordained a priest in 1787, six years after entering the seminary, most probably by the then

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

, Carmelo Scicluna (bishop between 1875 and 1888). Thereafter, Montebello seems to have been stably assigned to pastoral work within and around the parish of

. Such work does not appear to have hindered him from studying for his

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

Theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

. This seems to have been done in

(and not abroad). In this case his studies would probably have been pursued, as was normally done, at the '' Collegium Melitense'' in

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

. By 1797, that is ten years after his

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform v ...

, he had already acquired his S.T.D.

Family relations

Montebello was well connected through his family. His cousin, Giuseppe Montebello (1713–1833), from

Tarxien Tarxien ( mt, Ħal Tarxien) is a town in the South Eastern Region of Malta. Its population stood at 8583 in March 2014. The town is most notable for the Tarxien Temples, a megalithic temple complex which is among the oldest freestanding structu ...

, was the son of Montebello's uncle, Peter, and a well-heeled merchant. He was ''Capo di Casal Tarxien'' (Head of Tarxien), elected by the gentry there to represent them in all administrative matters. During the French presence in

(1798), he was chosen to be part of the committee administering one of the twelve municipalities created by

, that which included Tarxien, Żejtun,

Żabbar Żabbar ( mt, Ħaż-Żabbar, ), also known as Città Hompesch, is a city in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It is the sixth largest city in the country, with a population of 15,404 as of March 2014. Originally a part of Żejtun, Żabbar was gr ...

and

Għaxaq Għaxaq ( mt, Ħal Għaxaq, ) is a village in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 4,722 people as of March 2014. It is mainly a residential area surrounded by land used for agricultural purposes. The village's name is probably re ...

. Only three months later, however, Montebello was very much involved in the organised resistance of the Maltese against the French between 1798 and 1800. As head of the local provisional government at Tarxien, he was appointed ''capo battaglione'' (battalion leader) with operational responsibilities around that locality. Together with others, he contributed financially to the two-year war effort, and also donated (on 24 December 1798) a considerable part of his wealth to procure wheat and other supplies from

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

to ease the food shortage that ensued from the revolt. When the British provisionally took over the government of the

instead of the French Republican Commission, Giuseppe was elected by the gentry at Tarxien (18 February 1799) to be head of their locality, and thus part of the National Congress created by the representative of the British provisional government,

Alexander Ball Sir Alexander John Ball, 1st Baronet ( it, Alessandro Giovanni Ball, 22 July 1757 – 25 October 1809) was a Rear-Admiral and Civil Commissioner of Malta. He was born in Ebworth Park, Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire. He was the fourth son of Rober ...

. Later, Giuseppe was appointed ''Logotenente di Governo'' (Government Lieutenant) of Tarxien. Afterwards, when the British officially became lords of the land, and partitioned the

into six districts, Giuseppe was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the district comprising Tarxien, Paola, Żejtun, Żabbar,

Gudja Gudja is a village in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 3,148 as of March 2017. The village is located on high grounds, south of Valletta. It is administered by the Gudja Local Council. A number of schools, clubs, public garden ...

and Luqa (28 June 1815). Giuseppe's house at Tarxien, built by government funds as recompense for his share in the revolt, still stands unto this day, and is a tourist attraction. Another influential close relative, Giuseppe Pulis Montebello (1783–1855), was Montebello's nephew. He was from Żejtun and resided in

together with his Italian wife Carlotta Bertelli. Giuseppe lived for many years in Livorno, Italy, where he married. They had at least five children. He and his wife settled in

for just a decade or so, and returned to Livorno a few months before Giuseppe's death in 1855. He was a well-off and self-sufficient merchant. He too was elected to the National Assembly (1849–54). He was very popular with voters, obtaining the largest number of popular votes. Three publications of his are known. In 1824 he published ''Chtieb il Kari Yau Dahla’al ilsien Malti'' (A Book of Maltese Reading or An Introduction to the Maltese Language); in 1826 ''Trattat Fuq l’Obblighi Tal-Bniedem'' (A Treatise on the Duties of Man); and in 1847 ''Rendiconto pratico del Campo Esperimentale dell’Est'' (A practical Statement on the Experimental Camp in the East). The first two are credited to be the first books written entirely in the

Maltese language Maltese ( mt, Malti, links=no, also ''L-Ilsien Malti'' or '), is a Semitic language derived from late medieval Sicilian Arabic with Romance superstrata spoken by the Maltese people. It is the national language of Malta and the only offic ...

Resistance

Together with many others, including his uncle Giuseppe, between 1798 and 1800 Montebello was part of the resistance of the Maltese against the French. He was stationed at Żejtun (at ''Tal-Borg''), and gave his share within a team of resistance fighters. The team's job was to intercept any manoeuvring by or to the French troops blockaded in

through the road leading to

Cottonera The Three Cities ( mt, It-Tlett Ibliet) is a collective description of the three fortified cities of Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua in Malta. The oldest of the Three Cities is Vittoriosa, which has existed since prior to the Middle Ages. Th ...

from the east, and to organise and manage supplies around that area. Despite some skirmishes―which had even left some casualties on both sides―Montebello's involvement does not seem to have been military, as some suggested, but rather of a logistical nature. In fact, together with two others (Luigi Agius, a

doctor of canon and civil law A doctor of both laws, from the Latin ''doctor utriusque juris'', or ''juris utriusque doctor'', or ''doctor juris utriusque'' ("doctor of both laws") (abbreviations include: JUD, IUD, DUJ, JUDr., DUI, DJU, Dr.iur.utr., Dr.jur.utr., DIU, UJD a ...

, and Vincenzo Borg, later a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George) Montebello served as ''consultore legale'' (legal adviser) under the command of Giuseppe Abela. The team's General Headquarters was situated at San Giuseppe ( Hamrun), under the general command of Francesco Saverio Caruana. Caruana was a

Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

who had studied philosophy under Michael Xerri. He was professor of philosophy and mathematics at the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

’s

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

at Mdina, and later appointed Bishop of Malta (1831–47).

Professor of Philosophy

Following the French capitulation on 5 September 1800, Montebello was appointed professor of the chair of philosophy at the

. The chair had been suspended by

on 18 June 1798, but then reinstated by the British by

. On 5 November 1800, Montebello was chosen to be professor of

and

, with an

honorarium An honorarium is an ''ex gratia'' payment, i.e., a payment made, without the giver recognizing themselves as having any liability or legal obligation, to a person for his or her services in a volunteer capacity or for services for which fees are no ...

of 200

scudi The ''scudo'' (pl. ''scudi'') was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from the Latin ''s ...

''per annum''. He was chosen for this office by the newly appointed

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

, Saverio Caruana, Montebello’s former ‘priest-in-arms’. This was done with the approval of

’s provisional government (which included Montebello's cousin, Giuseppe). On the day of his appointment, 5 November, together with the other newly appointed professors, Montebello called on the

at his residence in

to thank him for their appointments. Caruana received them most kindly and, as was formerly the practice during the time of the

Knights Hospitallers The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

, they all proceeded to the palace of the

, Vincenzo Labini, in

who then administered to them the oath of office. On the following day, 6 November, professors, students and members of the better educated classes assembled in the main hall of the

, where the Augustinian Vincenzo Thei (the professor of

moral theology Ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy''"Ethics"/ref> A central aspect of ethics is "the good life", the life worth living or life that is simply sati ...

), delivered a solemn oration for the success of the new studies. The British governor,

, was also present for the occasion. Lectures started a week later, on 13 November, after the solemn intonation of the hymn ''

Veni Creator Spiritus "Veni Creator Spiritus" (Come, Creator Spirit) is a traditional Christian hymn believed to have been written by Rabanus Maurus, a ninth-century German monk, teacher, and archbishop. When the original Latin text is used, it is normally sung in Gre ...

'' in the

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

church, also at

. Then each professor went to his lecture room and gave a public lecture. Montebello's academic remit at the

was of two hours every week. A welcome development occurred on 13 March 1802, when the British governor,

, re-established the practice of conferring degrees, thus giving more weight to the academic institution. In the following month the first ceremony of the conferrement of degrees under British rule was held. This must have brought on, a few months later, on 5 May 1802, the increase in salary of the

professors, including Montebello's, from two to three hundred

''per annum'' by the British Civil Commissioner, Charles Cameron. Following these developments, no other events of note seem to have occurred at the

up till 1813, well after Montebello's time there.

Parish Priest

Montebello relinquished the chair of philosophy in 1804 when he was appointed by

Vincenzo Labini as parish priest of ''Civitatis Cospiquæ'' (

). On 3 October of that year, he was succeeded at the

by the professor of humanistic

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

and secretary of the

, Peter Mallia, a

. Montebello became vicar (or ''Parochus prælectus'') of

on 23 June 1804, and immediately took up residence there together with his sister Vincenza. He took official possession of the parish (as ''Parochus et Rector'') on the following 26 July. He was the sixteenth parish priest of

since the

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

’s inception on 15 September 1586. However, as it happened, he was also its last parish priest, since in 1822, during the tenure of Montebello's successor as parish priest, Giuseppe Bezzina, the

became a Collegiate by

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used ...

of Pope Pius VII. Apart of the usual pastoral duties as parish priest, at

Montebello founded, in May 1805, the

Confraternity A confraternity ( es, cofradía; pt, confraria) is generally a Christian voluntary association of laypeople created for the purpose of promoting special works of Christian charity or piety, and approved by the Church hierarchy. They are most c ...

of St. Agatha and a few months later, on 15 September 1805, the

of St. Michael.

Death

Montebello remained parish priest for five years. Unfortunately, he died suddenly and prematurely at his residence in

on 18 April 1809, seven weeks before his 47th birthday,. Though the last baptism he administered was just two days before his death, on the 16th, he was apparently too ill to officiate at a marriage celebrated less than a week before, on the 11th. Oddly enough, his funeral was not held at

, as would have been normal practice, but at the parish church of his birthplace, Żejtun, with the participation of the

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

serving at

. Stranger still, for some reason yet unknown he was not buried at Żejtun but was transported again, this time to

, and buried in the crypt of the

Collegiate church In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons: a non-monastic or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by ...

of St. Paul's Shipwreck, in the part reserved for priests. In gratitude towards the

, a few days after the funeral, on the 23rd, his sister, Vincenza Montebello, donated 50

to the

collagate ''per i poveri di Cospicua'' (for the poor of

). Several masses were sung by the

for his repose on the anniversary of his death in the succeeding five years (until 1814). More masses were sung for his repose by the clergy at Żejtun almost fifty years later, in 1855, and in succeeding years, by bequest of Giuseppe Pulis Montebello.

Works

There is as yet no indication that Montebello ever published any works, philosophical or otherwise. In all probability he did not. His class notes on

and

, subjects which he taught for four years at the

, do not seem to have survived, not even in indirect form (by his students). At least, nothing is yet known about their whereabouts. Having said this, however, it might not be irrelevant to point out that the hundreds of manuscripts held at the archive of the Collegiate of

―one likely place where Montebello's writings might be held―are still not catalogued. This, as yet, makes it impossible to know for sure whether anything of his philosophical notes survived. To date, it is not known whether Montebello drew up any

last will A will or testament is a legal document that expresses a person's (testator) wishes as to how their property ( estate) is to be distributed after their death and as to which person (executor) is to manage the property until its final distributio ...

, as was usually done.Given the archival circumstances in

, manual research in this regard will have to cover the period from 1778/80 (when Montebello reached the

legal age Legal age or codified age refers to age at which a person may legally engage in a certain activity. Most frequently, this is the age of majority (also known as the "age of maturity"), the threshold of adulthood as recognized in law. Other ages of l ...

of 16/18 to draw up a will) or when his last parent (his mother) died, up till 1809 (25/27 years and more), an endeavour which is at present unfeasible.

References

Sources

Archives: * AM– ''Acta Academiæ Melitensis'' (Chronicles of the University of Malta). Two volumes: 1800–1809; 1800–1932. Archives. University of Malta: Malta. * ACM– Archive of the Archbishop's Curia: Floriana, Malta. * CB– Collegiate Archive: Bormla, Malta. * PB– Parish Archive: Bormla, Malta. *

PPV PPV, ppv or pPv may refer to: Technology * Pay-per-view on cable or satellite television * People Powered Vehicle, a human-powered vehicle from 1970 * Police Pursuit Vehicles, the most common police vehicles in the United States and Canada Scienc ...

– Parish Archive, St. Paul Shipwreck: Valletta, Malta. * PT– Parish Archive: Tarxien, Malta. * PZ– Parish Archive: Zejtun, Malta. Publications: * Abela, J. (1999) ‘Dun Salv Montebello’, Programm tal-Festa (Feast Programme). Bormla: Malta. * Abela, J. (2008) ‘Iz-Zejtuni Guzeppi Pulis Montebello: Kittieb u politiku (1783–1855)’; Joseph Pulis Montebello of Zejtun: Writer and politician (1783–1855), ''Lehen il-Malti'', no. 31, pp. 53–57. * Agius, L.S. (1968) ''The University of Malta under British Rule'', B.A. Hons. thesis (unpublished). Malta. * Battistino, V. (1992) ''Hal Tarxien'' (Tarxien). Malta. * Bonnici, A. (1985) ‘Ir-Raba’ Centinarju tal-Parrocca’ (The Fourth Centenary of the Parish). ''Bormla'', vol. 11, no. 131, pp. 1, 10, 12. * Cachia, L. (2000) ''Habbew l-Ilsien Malti'' (They Loved the Maltese Language). Malta. * Camilleri, J.C. (2001) ‘Il-kult lejn wahda mill-Patruni ta’ Malta’ (The cult towards one of Malta's patron saints), ''Il-Mument'', 4 February, p. 35. * Cassar Pullicino, J. (1958) ‘The re-opening of the university in 1800’. ''Journal of the Faculty of Arts''. Malta. * Cassar, M. (2003) ''The Surnames of the Maltese Islands: An etymological dictionary''. Book Distributors Ltd.: Malta. * Castagna, P.P. (1985) ''L-Istorja ta’ Malta bil-Gzejjer Taghha'' (The History of Malta with its Islands). Three volumes. Malta. * Debono J. (1996), ‘La societá delle scuole normali della Valletta: a brief historical backdrop’ (The Valletta society for public schooling). ''Melita Historica'' (New Series). Vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 47–74. * Farrugia Randon, P. (1991) ''Camillo Sciberras''. Malta. * Ferres, A. (1866) ''Descrizione Storica delle Chiese di Malta e Gozo''. Malta. * Frendo, H. (2004) ''Storja ta’ Malta'' (History of Malta). Vol. III. Klabb Kotba Maltin: Malta. * Laferla, A.V. (1938) ''British Malta''. Vol. I. Malta. * Mifsud Bonnici, R. (1960) ''Dizzjunarju Bijo-Bibljografiku Nazzjonali'' (National Bio-Bibliographical Dictionary). Department of Information: Malta. * Mifsud, A. (1907) ''Origine della Sovranità Inglese su Malta'' (Origin of British Sovereignty over Malta). Tipografia del Malta: Malta. * Montebello, M. (2001) ''Il-Ktieb tal-Filosofija f’Malta'' (A Source Book of Philosophy in Malta). Two volumes. PIN Publications: Malta. * Naudi, E. (1848) ''Ricordo di Mons. Francesco Saverio Caruana'' (In Memory of Mgr. Francis Saviour Caruana). Malta. * Tabone, L. (2001) ''L-Istorja tal-Kolleggjata Perinsinji ta’ Bormla bid-Dmirijiet u d-Drittijiet li kellha'' (The History of the Most Preeminent Collegiate of Bormla with the Rights and Duties it possessed). Malta. * Testa, C. (1979–82) ''Maz-Zewg Nahat tas-Swar'' (On Both Sides of the Bastions). Three volumes (1979, 1980, 1982 respectively). Malta. * Vella, A. (1979). ''Storja ta’ Malta'' (History of Malta). Vol. II. Klabb Kotba Maltin: Malta. * Vella, E.B. (1932) ''Storja ta’ Hal Tarxien u Rahal Gdid'' (History of Tarxien and Paola). Malta. * Zammit, T. (1913) ''L’Università di Malta: Origine e sviluppo'' (The University of Malta: Origins and development). Malta. {{DEFAULTSORT:Montebello, Saviour 18th-century Maltese philosophers 1762 births 1809 deaths People from Żejtun Academic staff of the University of Malta