03/09/2026
SANTU FORMOSA "IT-TIGRA" U L-ASSALT FUQ L-IMDINA FL-1798
Illum titfakkar biċċa mill-istorja ta’ pajjiżna li hi ftit magħrufa u li bdiet 228 sena ilu.
Mas-sebħ tat-3 ta’ Settembru 1798 in-Nutar Emanuele Vitale u Santu Formosa miż-Żurrieq mexxew ir-ribelli Maltin fil-ħbit għas-swar tal-Imdina.
Il-Maltin daħlu fil-belt minn bieb moħbi wara l-katidral tal-Imdina li jagħti għas-sur ta' De Redin (Despuig) .
Santu Formosa, imlaqqam ‘it-Tigra’, mexxa l-irġiel Maltin kontra t-truppi repubblikani u waħdu qatel 24 suldat Franċiż. B'kollox inqatlu 65 suldat Franċiż.
Waqaf joqtol għax ix-xabla inqasmitlu f’sider wieħed minnhom.
Huma rebħu l-belt u għall-ewwel darba tellgħu l-bandiera bajda u ħamra ta’ Malta fuq is-swar tal-Imdina. Ir-rivoluzzjoni kontra l-okkupazzjoni Franċiża kienet bdiet.
Giovanni Cortis, Ġużeppi Borg, Mario Cortis , Marozz Galea, Giovanni Chirchop, u Maruzzo Vella mietu waqt dan l-assalt.
Maruzzo Vella miet meta pprova jniżżel il-bandiera Franċiża minn fuq is-sur.Maruzzo Galea, Matteo Cortis u Giovanni Chircop mietu fil-misraħ .
Dan id-demm kollu nxtered wara li s-suldati Franċiżi ta' ġol-Imdina kienu urew li ħa jċedu, u xi suldat Franċiż beda jispara mill-bogħod fuq l- irġiel Maltin u qatilhom.
Waqt l-inżul tal-Franċiżi f'Malta, Santu Formosa jingħad li qatel kavallier Franċiż b'xabla għax kien issuspettat li kien qed jispjuna għall-Franċiżi meta x-xwieni ta' Desaix daħlu jinvadu mill-Bajja ta' Marsaxlokk.
Formosa kien inqabad jisraq u li kien qed iżomm affarijiet misruqin għandu . Għalkemm il-poter mid-dehra kien telgħalu għal rasu xorta għandu jibqa' jissemma għall-qlubuja tiegħu fil-qawmien kontra l-Franċiżi.
Ta' min jgħid li l-attakk fuq l-Imdina ma kienx hemm qawwiet barranin jgħinuna fih.
"Il di seguente 3 Settembre giorno di Lunedi crescendo sempre
in maggior numero il Popolo tutto (luanto adirato contro i Republi-
cani, niente scoragito i>cr l'intrapresa della medesima Città, accorse
alla casa del medesimo signor Vitale, il quale prima distribuì la
gente d'attorno in tutti quanti li Bastioni, ordinando loro di fare
sparo, e tìnto attacco con quei pochi schioppi, che avevano, ed egli
con buona porzione di gente passò da sotto la fontana della Saccaja
per la strada che conduce per la Hernsia^ di là per sotto il Bastione,
che viene dietro la Cattedrale detto Deredin. "
https://archive.org/.../originedellasov00mifsgoog_djvu.txt
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SANTU FORMOSA "THE TIGER" AND THE ASSAULT ON IMDINA IN 1798.
Today we recall a little-known part of our history that began 228 years ago.
At dawn on the 3rd of September 1798 Notary Emanuele Vitale and Santu Formosa from Żurrieq led Maltese rebels in an assault on the Mdina bastions, entering the old city of Malta through a hidden door behind the Imdina Cathedral leading to the De Redin (Despuig) Bastion.
Santu Formosa, known as 'it-tigra' (the Tiger), spearheaded his battalion of men to chase the defending republican troops. Formosa killed 24 men with his sword. By the end of the fighting the sword broke in half in the chest of his final victim. The city was taken and for the first time ever the red and white flag of Malta flew atop Mdina bastions. The revolution against the French occupation had begun.
The Maltese insurgents Giovanni Cortis, Ġużeppi Borg, Mario Cortis , Marozz Galea, Giovanni Chirchop, and Maruzzo Vella died during the assault .
Sixty five French soldiers were killed in the assault.
Giovanni Cortis and Giuseppi Borg died on the assault of Mdina. Maruzzo Galea, Matteo Cortis and Giovanni Chircop were shot in the square. Maruzzo Vella was killed on the bastion as he attempted to lower the French flag .
This blood bath started after the French soldiers signaled that they were going to surrender, but a sniper started shooting at the Maltese men.
During the first days of the French invasion Santu Formosa, known as It-Tigra (the tiger), murdered a French knight with a sabre . The knight was suspected to be secretly collaborating with the French when Desaix’s ships were landing their troops in Marsaxlokk Bay.
The nephew of a Maltese Corsair wrote in 1830:
"No one perhaps would believe that the Maltese in attempting to shake off the yoke of the detested French, had not formed or contemplated any plan, nor asked for any assistance or concerted any measures with any foreign power for ensuring the success in the attempt, although the context in which they were to enter was by far most arduous and by far unequal" See less
No photo description available.. No photo description available.. May be an image of text. No photo description available.. May be a graphic of map, floor plan, blueprint and text that says "ST. MARY'S BASTION TOWER FORTIFICATIONS OF MDINA in their present state MAGAZINE CURTAIN GHARREQIN GATE T.PETE'S BASTION Mdina DESPUIG BASTION REMAINS OF MEDIEVAL DOUBLE WALLS EN CRÉMAILLÈRE ENCIETE GREEKS GATE TORRE DELLO STANDARDO PAS-DE-SOURIS R ARTILLERY PLATFORM BATTERY DE REDIN BASTION BASTIONETTE DITCH MAIN GATE D'HOMEDES BASTION"
