Emmanuele Vitale (30 April 1758 – 8 October 1802) was a
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...
notary,
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
and statesman. During the
Siege of Malta, he commanded 10,000
irregular Maltese soldiers.
Biography
Early life
Emmanuel Vitale was born in
Rabat
Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...
on 30 April 1758. He was the son of Notary Saverio Vitale and Rosa née Caruana. Influenced by his father, he studied in
Malta and became a notary. Also between 1785 and 1795, he succeeded his father and held the position of Chancellor of the Università at
Mdina
Mdina ( mt, L-Imdina ; phn, 𐤌𐤋𐤈, Maleṭ; grc, Μελίττη, Melite (ancient city), Melíttē; ar, مدينة, Madīnah; ), also known by its Italian-language titles ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortifications of Mdin ...
, for whom he was a great benefactor.
French Occupation of Malta
The
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
seized Malta from the
Knights of St. John in 1798. The French troops left in Malta, under the command of General
Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois, immediately became unpopular. They frequently looted the churches of Malta, which led to Vitale hiding the treasures of the Church of Saint Joseph (Rabat) in his house. When the French attempted to loot
damask and
silver from a convent in Mdina, through Vitale's efforts, an angry mob amassed in order to prevent the French from doing so. The protests soon became an
insurrection against the French, and Vitale was made commander-in-chief of the
Maltese irregular forces (with the exception of the forces from Zebbug and Siggiewi who recognized
Canon Francesco Saverio Caruana as their general). Under his command, they pushed the French out of Mdina, using a passageway behind
St. Paul's Cathedral, Mdina and by the following day the Maltese recaptured Mdina for themselves, massacring the French garrison there. Taken by surprise, the French retreated into
Valletta, where they held out throughout the rest of the siege.
Meanwhile, Vitale and the other leaders set up a
provisional government, the National Assembly, at the
Banca Giuratale of Mdina on 3 September. The Assembly appealed for foreign help and sent a representative to ask for aid in Naples. Vitale, Count Salvadore Manduca, Marquis Vincenzo de Piro and Count Ferdinand Thurna Castelliti sent a letter to the British Admiral
Horatio Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
for help. He and, soon after, Captain
Alexander Ball arrived to provide reinforcements and later the
Portuguese Marquis de Nisa (known to the Maltese as Nizza) provided troops,
muskets and
gunpowder. Due to disagreements on whom should lead, between Vitale and Caruana, Ball became the President of the Assembly. Afterwards, a National Congress was set up, made up of the village leaders and a couple of
priests
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...
. Vitale was seen as a representative of Mdina, not as a general in the Congress. At first, Ball was highly critical of Vitale, describing him as ambitious and a bad administrator. This changed however upon seeing his leadership skills throughout the course of the siege. On 31 March 1800, he, along with about twenty other representatives, signed a letter stating that the Maltese wanted to become subjects of
Great Britain. The French capitulated on 5 September 1800.
Later life
After the French left Malta, Britain set up a Protectorate over Malta, with Ball becoming a Civil Commissioner. He nominated Vitale to become ''luogotenente'' (village leader) of
Senglea. On 21 August 1801, under the Civil Commissioner Charles Cameron, he was given the honour of being
Governor, Superintendent and the Health Director of Gozo. He died on 8 October 1802 at the young age of 44.
Legacy
Vitale is remembered in Malta for being one of the Maltese leaders in the insurrection. He was depicted on a postage stamp in 2002, though it is not known for certain if the stamp shows Vitale or a member of the Reggimento dell'Artiglieria e Bombardieri of the
Order of Saint John.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vitale, Emmanuel
1758 births
1802 deaths
Maltese military personnel
French occupation of Malta
Maltese rebels
Maltese notaries
18th-century Maltese politicians
19th-century Maltese politicians
Governors of Gozo