General in the Bavarian Army
The son of Pasquale, 12th Baron of Castel Cicciano and of Lucrezia née Dorell. He was the brother of Fabrizio*, the first Maltese Cardinal, and Camillo*, the Maltese Patriot. Like his brother Fabrizio, Michele, in April 1771 left Malta for Rome.
Michele, an extremely erudite man, fluent in Italian, French, English and German, had an illustrious career. He was widely travelled and his military career brought him close to the King of Bavaria and his son.
Michele Sceberras Testaferrata entered the Bavarian service at an early age. He was an eminently cultured person and was fluent in the main European languages, English, French, Italian and German.
Sceberras Testaferrata was appointed Captain in the Royal Guard and in 1789 became Chamberlain to His Majesty. He was appointed Commander and Bailiff of the Bavarian Order of St George, and in 1793 he was awarded the Cross of Merit after taking part in the attack against the French in Weissembourg. Contrary to his other brother Camillo, who was a staunch Francophile, Michele distinguished himself in the campaigns against the French.
Sceberras Testaferrata was an unprofessed knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem of Malta. In 1790 he was awarded the Crucem Ordinis Devotionis by Grandmaster Emanuel de Rohan Polduc.
His affable character and literary acquirements won him the respect and favour of His Bavarian Majesty’s court who entrusted him with the care of the young Crown Prince, whom he accompanied on his travels.
He died a bachelor in Milan, Italy after a short illness. He was 70 and at the time he was a general in the Bavarian army.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.