Count of Malta - Genoese Period

Genoese Period

Enrico “Pescatore” de Candia inherited the fief from of Guglielmo Grasso in 1203, apparently since he was his son-in-law and the latter had no sons. He used the islands in his exploits throughout the Mediterranean in his enterprise as a major corsair. It seems that he was employed in pirating activities against mainly Venetian and Arab vessels, but also seems to have been active in internal strife in Sicily. At around 1218 though, he was also elevated to Admiral for the King of Sicily. It seems that at around 1221 he may have lost the fief due to dispute with the crown although whether he regained it or not is not known.

Afterwards the title and fief were regained by his son Niccolo de Malta in 1232. Throughout the period during which he uses the title (1232-1266) though there seems to be present in Malta a number of royal governors including Paulino de Malta (1239-1240) and Gililberto Abbate (1240-?) during the period of the latter governor was written one of the most well known and important documents from the time, the report of Giliberto Abbate., It seems that Niccolo lost the fief in 1266 when the Kingdom of Sicily was conquered by Charles of Anjou, but the title was than re-instated to him even though he held nominal power. Apparently it was in this period that the ‘local’ nobility started to form, which is attested by a number of petition sent to the crown during the period by a number of distinct locals on matters of local significance. During the Sicilian Vespers uprising it appears that the island was easily taken by the Aragonese in 1282 with local aid, excluding the Castrum Maris which did not fall until 1283 after the naval Battle of Malta. It was therefore in 1282 that Andrea was given the title of Count of Malta after his and his family’s support of the native rebels in aiding the Aragonese claimants.

In 1300 Ruggiero de Lauria was given the title of Count of Malta by the Angevin crown after loss of support in the King of Sicily’s fleet and allied himself with the Angevin crown. It seems though that he never had control over the islands since they where still strictly Aragonese possetions after the Battle of Malta which he himself had won for the Aragonese crown.