Biography: Giovanni Francesco Abela

Father of Maltese history and historiography, and Vice-Chancellor of the Order of Saint John

Born in Birgu, Abela was the only son of the noble Marco Habela, and Bernardina Vella Xara. He was born into a good noble family. His Spanish ancestors had settled in Malta back in 1304 and the family was a well-known Maltese aristocratic family by the middle of the sixteenth century.  

When Abela was in his teens he started showing his determination to become a minister of the Temple. From a very young age, he was already noted for his wisdom, kindness, and prudence. He enrolled as a conventual clergyman of justice in the langue of Castille and the priory of Portugal on 27 April 1605.

After studying in Malta and at the university of Bologna, at 23 he graduated in both civil and ecclesiastical laws obtaining the degree of Juris Utriusque Doctor. He was ordained priest soon after and was engaged as chaplain on the galleys of the Order, according to its Statues, of the said Order.

He was still a graduand when he was set to serve as a diplomat and to be sent on missions abroad. In 1602, the Order of St.John chose him as a representative in a visit to the Secretary of the Prior Mendoza of Spain.

Abela was chosen to act as secretary to ambassadors going on important missions to Paris, Rome, and Spain. At the same time he was nominated Protonotarius Apostolicus . In 1610, Abela came back to Malta to assume the responsible office of vice-chancellor of the Order, which post he kept for 35 years.  

In point of fact, Abela was a collector and maecenas of archeological and rare objects and created a very beautiful museum in which he brought together the remains from the earliest epochs. Later on, he bequeathed everything to the Jesuits after whom the plain came to be known as ‘The Plain of the Jesuits’ or simply ‘Jesuits Hill’. One night, some thieves raided the museum and stole many things among which an urn of the Phoenician period in which the ashes of the burnt dead would be placed. Notwithstanding that a large number of his antiquities were stolen, the rest were transferred to the Library of the Order. The recovered items were given to the Library of the Order, now the National Libarary.

Abela served as auditor to Grand Master De Paule (1623-36), and was entrusted with liaison work between the Order and the people. After De Paule’s death he was chosen as one of the three commissioners in the magisterial election, a great honour usually entrusted to men of great integrity.   

Nothing is known about Commendatore Abela’s private life, except that he was a pious priest, and well known for his charity and generosity towards the poor.  He was a great friend of the Inquisitor Mgr Fabio Chigi who was later elected Pope Alexander VII.

But Abela is very well known as the Father of Maltese History because in 1647 he published his Della Descrittione di Malta Isola Nel Mare Siciliano Con Le Sue Antichità et Altre Notizie.  

Giovanni Francesco Abela died aged 73 years and was buried in the chapel of Our Lady of Philermos in the conventual church - the co-cathedral of St John, Valletta.

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