Art Historian and Lawyer

Born in Valletta, the son of Vincent Sammut and Erminia née Amato, Sammut received his education at St Aloysius College and the RUM from where he graduated LLD (1937). In 1938 he pursued a post graduate course in Rome university and later at the Università per Stranieri in Perugia. At the outbreak of World War II Sammut returned to Malta and was conscripted into the RMA.

At the end of hostilities, he commenced his private legal practice, serving both in Malta and in Benghazi, while also being appointed art correspondent and parliamentary reporter for the Times of Malta. In 1958 Sammut was appointed secretary of Simonds Farsons Cisk Ltd. and later director.  In 1976, at the age of 64, he read for an MA in History at the UM presenting his thesis on the ‘Life and Works of Melchior Gafà’.

Sammut was a knight of grace of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He also served as president of the Malta Rotary Club and was elected Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. As the first Governor of the Sicily/Malta District, he chose as his theme ‘La tutela del patrimonio culturale’.

Sammut was founder-member and first president of the Friends of the Cathedral Museum and the driving force behind the Favray and Willie Apap exhibitions. He also set up the art reference library at the Museum, mostly with donations from Sicilian friends. On his death this was named the ‘Dr Edward Sammut Memorial Art Library’.

Sammut was a member of the Malta Cultural Institute, the Malta Historical Society, the Government and Diocesan Antiquities Committee, the Arts Council of Malta, and the Malta Photographic Society, to which he also donated a trophy to be awarded for the best photograph on cultural heritage. Sammut lectured in art history in Italy and Sicily as well as locally, including on television, besides writing books and contributing to newspapers and journals.

Edward married Phyllis Sciortino on 28 December 1946 and they had two daughters, Francesca and Mary Clare.

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