Mikiel Anton Vassalli (March 1764 in Żebbuġ, Malta - January 12 1829) was a Maltese writer and linguist. He studied oriental languages at the University of Rome, and went on to publish important Maltese language books, including a Maltese-Italian dictionary, a Maltese grammar book and, towards the end of his life, a book on Maltese proverbs.

Life

Mikiel Anton Vassalli was born in Żebbuġġ. He married Caterina Formosa de Freamaux. He was expelled from Malta a number of times during his life due to his political beliefs.

Lexicon

The Maltese-Latin-Italian dictionary, known as the Lexicon is the first ever published instance of Maltese text hence he is known as the father or creator of the Maltese language. The Lexicon has been republished by Frans Sammut. Vassalli's main biographer was Ninu Cremona with his Vassalli u Zminijiet of the 1930s, translated into English and published in the early 1940s as Vassalli and his times.

In Literature

Frans Sammut also wrote Il-Ħolma Maltija (The Maltese Dream) a novel which revolves around Vassalli's life. The novel was acclaimed by The Times as the best literary work ever written in Maltese. The novel has been published in an esperantist translation in New York and described by English writer Marjorie Boulton as "a colossal work". Sammut has also republished Vassalli's book on Maltese proverbs in a Maltese translation of the original Italian.Ġużè Aquilina's novel, Taħt Tliet Saltniet (Under Three Rules), explores the personage's life when the Maltese Islands were ruled by the Order of Saint John, followed by the French and lastly by the British.

In Maltese literature, Vassalli's political figure is also celebrated in a number of poems. Lil Mikiel Anton Vassalli (To Mikiel Anton Vassalli) is the common title Dun Karm Psaila, Ġorġ Pisani and Ninu Cremona give to one of their poems. Rużar Briffa mentions Vassalli in the poem Jum ir-Rebħ (Victory Day). Singer-songwriter Manwel Mifsud pays homage to him in his Maltese song Vassalli.

Monuments

There is currently a statue of Vassalli in his town of birth, Żebbuġ. His grave is to be found in the Msida Bastion Garden of Rest, a restored early 19th century protestant cemetery in Floriana that is maintained by the national trust Din l-Art Helwa