The Scourge of the Mediterranean

Malta’s location at the centre of the Mediterranean Sea determined much of its destiny. Boasting a harbour so large that it could service any fleet, by the mid-18th century, the available facilities could assist commerce, work and corsairing. When the knights arrived in Malta in 1530, the local population, with the help of foreign interests, turned the inner harbour area of Birgu into a small but effective base in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.

The island we have come to call Mata by the 1770’s was heavily fortified. The Corso was a great financial source. A community of seagoing mercenaries lived there. These men brought in money, bullion and food at gun point in the name of the Order of St. John. The last four Grand Masters, Pinto (1741-1773), Ximenes (1773-1775), Rohan (1775-1797) and Hompesch (1797-1798) issued licences to private men of war and supported any foreign privateer who wished to make use of the harbour and auction houses of the island, at a reasonable tax rate, of course. The princes from their island state sent forth their mercenaries on the seas to raid and plunder the Mediterranean, as had happened for centuries. The head of the state in fact exerted all his power to protect their right to fly his flag as sovereign of the islands or at times, that of the religion itself when Rome or France exerted enough pressure.

Among the artifacts in the national collection is a crew list from 1777 called the Ruollo. This handstitched document is one of the most amazing sources at our disposal to study corsair crews. The roll call ledgers of many of the ships are conserved at the Notarial Archives in Valletta. This example at the museum was a donation from a local collector in the early 21st century. The artifact, which was originally kept by the clerk on board, kept a record of each sailor. These records included the name and surname of each sailor. The ruollo also included the sailor’s nickname, his father’s name, his nationality, his place of residence and his job aboard the ship. Furthermore, details about his pay were added as well as any remarks about his behavior and conduct on board. The information found in this document is important. The Xebec of Captain Lorenzi had a total of seventy-nine men registered aboard, of which 33 were foreigners. They were born as far away as England, and out of these 33, only five lived in Malta, one in Valletta and the others at Senglea. It is not surprising to learn that half of the crew resided in Valletta and Senglea.

The captain was a Corsican living in Malta, but he is not registered in the Ruollo. On the 12th of December 1777, Michele Agius the banditore announced publicly in Valletta, “It is ordered that all those embarked on the Xebec of Captain Guglielmo Lorenzi flying the flag of the religion are to present themselves on board the said ship in twenty four hours or risk being arrested and taken to the galleys”. After this Bando was read out, all the crew who had enrolled onboard the ship presented themselves at the marina to depart for the corso. The Xebec, just like all other ships armed at Malta, had one simple plan, to prey upon Ottoman shipping, hoping to capture merchandise and slaves. Once satisfied, the captain would return to Malta to sell off his cargo. The dividends from the profits were paid out to all the investors and the sailors who had served on board.

The ruollo here remains a testament to the corso and Guglielmo Lorenzi himself. He arrived in Malta in 1745 as a boy and would go on to become one of the Mediterranean’s most formidable corsairs. Serving under various flags — Monaco, Naples, Russia, and the Order of St John — he carved out a long and brutal career as a commerce raider. He was known for bold captures, including a notorious 1778 prize of 98 slaves in one fell swoop, which alone accounted for two-thirds of that year’s corsair hauls in Malta. Decorated by both the Grand Master and the Russian Tsarina, Lorenzi commanded powerful ships such as La Vittoria, Il Falcone and La Fama.

In 1798, following the French occupation of Malta, Lorenzi joined a failed conspiracy with the Maltese National Congress to overthrow the French Republican government. Betrayed and captured, he was executed by firing squad in Valletta in January 1799. His final will showed meticulous care — even listing debts for two bottles of Maraschino. Though overshadowed in death and absent from monuments, Lorenzi’s house still stands, and his daring deeds were once sung in Maltese ballads. A soldier of fortune and a patriot, Lorenzi remains a complex figure — committed to Malta, and a man whose life was shaped by the volatile politics of the 18th-century Mediterranean.