Historian, Liberal Politician, Educator and Linguist

Born in Senglea from a well-off family, and owners of a factory of distilled liquors, Panzavecchia was well known as one of the Litterati of the Island. He was the son of Giuliano Panzavecchia and Maria née Cremona.

Panzavecchia was ordained priest on 22 December 1821 and canon of the Senglea Chapter in 1818. He was graduated in civil and ecclesiastical laws. He was also a philosopher, and was the first Maltese who tried to establish philosophical terminology in Maltese. Manuscripts with philosophical themes include: Taghlim takgħit iddiscors imseijah fliskeijel Rettorica, Taghlim il Logica, Taghlim il Metafisica, and Tagħlim il Fisica. (All these manuscripts are without date, but most probably were written around 1845).

He was a liberal in his ideas and fond of discussing the political events of the Island.

On 23 April 1838 Panzavecchia founded the monthly newspaper Lo Spettatore Imparziale, which was the first paper in Malta after the free press was established as a result of the recommendations of the Austin and Lewis Royal Commission in 1837, in which he ‘displayed a great depth of thought and liberality of feeling’. He published this paper with the collaboration of Rev Giuseppe Zammit.

In 1834 Rev Fortunato Panzavecchia was appointed president of the Normal Schools in Cottonera and was instrumental in the setting up of these schools in the area. In 1844 he was appointed the first director of government primary schools in Malta and Gozo.

He died in his residence in Senglea.

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