Journalist, Author and Painter

Son of medical doctor Vincenzo Muscat and Emmanuela Fenech, Antonio Muscat-Fenech was born in Cospicua. He contributed regularly to In-Naħla Maltija and Il-Ħabbar Malti of which he even formed part of its editorial staff. He was an enthusiastic member of literary circles but he had to resign when he was appointed vice-consul for Austria-Hungary. He was knighted by the Austrian Emperor for his services.

Muscat-Fenech was often encouraged by Ġużè Muscat Azzopardi to write poetry and he composed mostly didactic fables in verse. As editor of Il-Ħabbar Malti, on 14 March 1894 he invited all Maltese writers to meet and design a standard system for writing Maltese. As a result, on 11 April 1894 a committee was formed to design the new system. This was formed of Professor Napoleon Tagliaferro (president), Antonio Muscat-Fenech (secretary), Manuel Caruana, Ġużè Muscat Azzopardi, and Achille Ferris (members). When Muscat-Fenech had to leave because of his diplomatic duties, he was replaced by Ġanni Vassallo.

Muscat-Fenech was also an accomplished musician on the mandolin, and one of the first photographers, with a darkroom at his residence in Qormi.

He organised annually the Good Friday procession, and some of the objects carried in the same procession were made by him. Muscat-Fenech constructed the earliest large-scale mechanical crib in the 1870s and later donated this crib to St Joseph Institute of Ħamrun. He was a great benefactor of his home town, Qormi, where one of the streets is named after him.

Muscat-Fenech wrote several dramatic pieces which he had lent to a friend of his. These were lost at sea during World War I when his friend went down with the mercantile ship he was travelling on.

Antonio Muscat-Fenech was also a painter and he mostly painted portraits of elderly local characters and Arab vendors in Malta.

Muscat-Fenech was married to Filomena née Naudi, and they had five children.

He died in Qormi and was buried at the Addolorata Cemetery.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.