The Marquesses of St George (Marchesi di San Giorgio)
- Titled: Dr Anthony Cremona Barbaro, as the 9th Marquis of St George.
- Heir: (his sister) Dr Anne Abrahams as Marchesina of St George.
The Marquisate of San Giorgio was created in 1778 by Grand Master de Rohan-Polduc to Dr Antonio Barbaro LLD, Initially granted life only, the Marquis later petitioned the Grand Master for the grant to be extended to his eldest son. This request was granted in 1779. The second Marquis petitioned the Grand Master for the Grant to be extended to all his descendants in perpetuity. This request was also granted in 1792.
Thus, in the case of the title of Marquis of San Giorgio, the title was initially granted ad personam to Dr. Carlo Antonio Barbaro on 6th. September 1778; it was later extended to the Marquis’s eldest son on 2nd. January 1779 and then, on 5th. June 1792 it was again extended but this time to all the Marquis’s descendants in perpetuity.
The Barbaro's of Malta descend from a branch of the Barbaro of Venice, who established themselves in Southern Italy as Barons di Letronico and Signors di Pietramala. Simone, son of Francesco, came to Malta in 1703. He was 'a very learned, pious and widely-traveled gentleman', who spent a fortune redeeming hundreds of slaves for one hundred piastres each. Hence he was know throughout Barbary as padre dei poveri shiavi cristiani. Simone, a personal friend of Pope Clement XI, built the hospice and the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Tripoli and also provided the necessary funds to complete the construction of the convent in Rome of San Pietro in Montorio.
Simone's five sons completed their studies in Rome. One of these,Carlo Antonio Barbaro, was an archaeologist, a historian, a linguist, and a literary figure of marked distinction. He studied in Rome, where he graduated in Law at the Sapienza in 1747. Proficient in several languages, including Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian, enjoying the protection of both Pope Pius VI and the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Tuscany, Carlo Antonio established his own Academia in Rome which was frequented by some of the most illustrious writers and savants of the time. In addition, he was also a member of the Accademia dell'Agricolture e dell Scienze of Brescia and a Pastore arade under the name of Metisco Teoclidense. In Malta he had a fine gallery of paintings, a well stocked library of old books and manuscripts, and a collection of antiquities, which included engraved gems, precious stones, coins and medals. This unique museum attracted many visitors to Malta. Carlo Antonio was also a Jurat of Valletta and the Three Cities and was made Marquis di San Giorgio by de Rohan, who held him in very high esteem. It was to this Grand Master that he dedicated his book Degli Avanzi d'Alcuni Antichissimi Edifizi Scoperti in Malta L'Anno 1768, which he wrote at the request of de Rohan's predecessor and in which he showed his vast and deep erudition. He wrote numerous Latin inscriptions, and several orations and discourses, including a very learned work on the quality of the Maltese soil and its products which he entitled Coltivazione delle Piante dell'Isola di Malta. Among his other works we find an extensive and most interesting description of the Maltese islands: Insularum Melitae et Gaulos Desriptio. These manuscripts which were recently acquired from Bologna and Local sources are now preserved in the archives of the Present title holder, Marchioness Beatrice Cremona Barbaro and her husband, the Chief Justice of Malta who is himself the author of many publications of international note.
The son of the first Marquis, Gioacchino Ermolao, was a distinguished poet of classical inspiration, After having studied in the Convitto of Pistoia, he returned to Malta, where he was appointed a Jurat, and a Captain in one of the regiments of the Order. He published Versi Toscani which contains fifty-eight sonnets and other poetical compositions on various subjects as well as Versi Sciolti dedicati all'Ombra del Figlio. Perhaps the most moving poems are those recall the death of three of his children who died during an epidemic. He was also the author of several translations from Horace, Martial and Virgil. In the words of Professor Vincenzo Laurenza, his works have 'una struttura ben salda e veste assai decorosa. This poet added to the luster of his own family by marrying Luisa Clotilde Crispo. This Noble women was a direct descendant of the Sovereign Dukes of Naxos and the Aegean Islands.
Testamento in atti di Not. Giovanni de Lucia. 24 marzo 1607. Di Lorenza
Crispo figl(ia) . di Michele Crispo = altro suo testamento in atti del Not. Tommaso Cauchi 24 aprile 1611. Erede un(iversale) Crisostomo Crispo suo figlio naturale. altro ed ultimo suo testamento in atti del Not. Antonio Abela...16.....Erede un(iverale) Gio. Andrea Crisp J.U.D. figlio di Crisostomo di lei figlio e di Petruccia sive Petronella dello Re qdm. Aloisio (I think!). Altro suo primo Testamento in atti del Notaro Giovani Tolosenti 30 Agosto 1590 Erede un(iversale)Apollonia***********(illegible)******in atti del Notaro*****Sciagura*****1599********figlio naturale."
Other members of the Barbaro family continued this long standing literary tradition. These included the poet, novelist, dramatist, and patriot Ramiro Barbaro, and the naturalist and Genealogist Marquis George Crispo Barbaro. Both these writers flourished in the nineteenth century and are therefore strictly speaking outside the limits of the period dealth eith. Ramiro Barbaro (who in Italy was editor of La Gazzetta d'Italia and in Berlin held a chair in the Humbolt-Akademie), Published some fifty books, amongst which his masterpiece Un Martire has been described as Le Chef d'oeuvre en prose de la literature maltaise d'Expression italienne. He certainly emerged as the best poet and novelist Malta had until then, produced.
Dr Carlo Antonio Barbaro was succeeded by his son in 1798, then succession passed from father to son until 1971, when the title was succeeded by the eldest daughter Beatrice Crispo-Barbaro.
Marquis Barbaro of St. George, Freemason, Master of The Lodge of St. John and St. Paul 1859. The Marchese Barbaro di San Giorgio was removed from his post as Inspector of Primary Schools by Governor O’Farrell in 1850. A schoolmistress, Miss Azzopardi claimed he was the father of her child and took him to court to obtain maintenance for the child but she lost and the court refused to declare him the father. During the proceedings the Marchese bi Barbaro called witnesses to prove that Miss Azzopardi had several lovers. Whilst this evidence may have cleared him of being the father of her child, for Governor O’Farrell it showed that the Marchese di Barbaro neglected his duty as Inspector of Primary Schools by not removing the unmarried Miss Azzopardi when clearly ‘with child’ but had allowed her to continue to teach ‘to the great scandal of the public’. In 1854 the Marchese Barbaro di San Giorgio sought compensation for loss of office, but the Governor refused it.
Beatrice married in 1949 to his Honour Prof. J.J Cremona K.M, LL.D and have three children.
The Marchioness di San Giorgio had passed away in February, 2001, and is succeeded by her only 'son' Dr Anthony Cremona Barbaro L.L.D as the 9th Marquis di San Giorgio.
The family are also able to use the Germanic Title of Count/Countess, which was brought into this family from the marriage of the 3rd Marquis to Countess Caroline Zimmermann. A decendant now uses the title of Count von Zimmermann since the Zimmermann became extinct in the 19th Century.
All descendants from the 3rd Marquis and Countess Caroline von Zimmermann are able to use the title of Count by Right ( The title is of origin Germanic and its remainder was to all descendants)
References
- 1) Said Vassallo, C.M., Unpublished research papers.
- 2) Said Vassallo, C.M.,[Charles Said-Vassallo's Research site] and[Maltese Nobility web site].
This Research was researched by Charles Said-Vassallo
(Text originally based on that of a website by Charles Said Vassallo, by permission.)
