Rising of the Priests
1775 CE.
Shown on the map at 35.902°, 14.519°.
The Rising of the Priests (Maltese: Ir-Rewwixta tal-Qassisin), also known as the September 1775 Rebellion, was an uprising against the Knights Hospitaller which broke out in Valletta, Hospitaller Malta in September 1775. It came about after an extended period of political and economic tension following the death of Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca in 1773. The magistracy of his successor, Francisco Ximénez de Tejada, was characterised by largely unsuccessful attempts to alleviate economic problems and disputes between the Hospitallers and Bishop of Malta Giovanni Carmine Pellerano. These tensions led to an open revolt by a small group of Maltese clergy and laymen under the leadership of the priest Don Gaetano Mannarino on 8 September 1775. The rebels took control of Fort Saint Elmo and Saint James Cavalier – two key locations within the fortifications of Valletta – but their actions failed to instigate a wider Maltese uprising.
Text from the Wikipedia article Rising of the Priests, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.