Architect and Naval Engineer

Born in Valletta, the son of Giovanni Battista Maurin - a native of St Tropez, France and Francesca Rocca - a Venetian. Maurin received his secondary education at the Jesuit’s Collegium Melitense, where he studied mathematics.

He was lecturer in mathematics and philosophy at the UM.

Gio Battista Maurin, his father, at that time senior administrative officer with the Armamento delle Galere, apprenticed him with the best naval masters at the port.  On the express recommendation of Grandmaster Pinto, Maurin was employed as a naval engineer and architect and proceeded to Toulon shipyards.

In 1787 he returned to Malta to fill the post of Capo Mastro Costruttore Navale and was responsible for the supervision of work done on sea-craft entering for repairs at the Senglea shipyards. He designed also galleys, demi-galleys and men-of-war.

Among his works are the galley Santa Maria, launched in May 1792, and later he turned into the Capitana of the Order’s galleys, the Sant’Andrea and the San Pietro of the Papal fleet, and the San Giovanni which was captured by the French when they invaded Malta and was renamed L’Athenien.

During the French occupation Maurin kept his job as ship designer and constructor. After the capitulation, he left with the French garrison to France, where he was employed in a French shipyard as a naval architect.

Maurin returned in 1802 after the Peace of Amiens. When war broke out again in 1803, he left for Naples where his brother Francesco had a flourished business. In Naples he found employment as naval architect, but later King Ferdinand IV appointed him personal tutor to his son Prince Carlo.

Maurin visited Malta in 1816, where again he worked as supervisor of repairs for some years.

Maurin, a bachelor retired and died in Naples aged 74 years, and was buried in Saint Matthew’s Church, Naples.

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