- 56 I JULY7,2019 THESUNDAYTIMESOF~TA THESU~~AYTIMESOF~TA JULY7, 2019 I 57 LIFE& WELLBEING HISTORY

Of the THREE latefamo • MPOSTO S~ padre Ottomano, viz. Maho11r~d B:i, an ~Sabatttl Servi. 'fhc Oue, pretended Son and Hcil to the late GrmJ <:igni r • Other :.1 Prince of the Ott01tl411 am b c in trnth, :l P:, l eM Comn-trfrit. And t eLan, I uppos'd JJ.ESSI.tiH oft e:J~ts, in th t r of d toe" rfi h t666, WI

../'.· ..,...,ll !Pt>rn·ait .U :;:~,r.- JJt 'I}.UN(fl._.VE £'T7'(/MA.N 91,& d '1f!.BIUHIJ,f z•·em ~ .:_·,t..Ft:reur d-v ~t,,.,-J, .o.t-c:f,.,rr .tr .'J/f.,dumd ?" :Z prifmt ~'qnan.t, v dit fllw d 1f/:liu,..Udm -<.zg! dr di~<' huir j1u- n.Ut:4, [,r J-u!t.:.t.ne fa t"tt l1R.r...nl(! par ...i'u& t""lt#.t.4'llir,. de.· :l1l~ fic.tpri~~ r:~ttr .Afo~ 10~;;~ Portrait of the young Osman. Engraving by Baltazar Moncornet (1600- 1l~IItru ·t Jit/t :f.W. 1 t./lruire rnla..Jle1t1im .ai/r.,/s',·que iLpt1ft.,li.zu~ q,.,m.a;i~te ~ta ('(tl J::Z.-lC .,~ c·£J.tJ it'':!-'f Cfi l iJ:.~fr,· dt'> Jt: ~~d11Till:"qt{.,; c.t {a_ Ju.ltan~ jQ. 1f1._-l;YC ntrnt,.Ut pin:,.e ~:'It# J 668). In 1660, he engraved a portrait of Grand Master Martin de Redin. J J:J r,·tt:•. ALBERT GANADO COLLECTION

-=the sea battle between a convoy of Turkish ships carrying a number of pilgrims bound for Mecca, attacked by the Knights Hospitaller of Malta Fr Osman wearing the habit of the Dominican Order. Engraving by Baltazar during the action of September 28, 1644. Engraving by Sebastien Beaulieu de Pontault (1612-1674) titled Combat Naval 1645 [sic], Paris, One of the publ cations pubUshed in 1669 where the Moncomet, signed Baltazar Moncomet exc.[udit] cum priv. regis. \ lHA EFFTGIES TUR\ORVM h.IPERJ\TORTS hH\AHL\f fiLII :ET I c.1670. JOSEPH SCHIRO COLLECTION author claims that Padre Ottomano was an impostor. Sttlt<\n.~: ems&c;. _l[aLn_, ' ALBERT GANADO COLLECTION Sul-1''''1; ot.A·IUI..L ,.; •.tt,£t~ 'C . .J.J..r.:co~rttJJO.

All these concerns served no pur­ ceremony of extreme rejoicing never pose. She died after barely three witnessed before. months on January 6, 1645. If her bur­ The baptism was followed on August ial place becomes known, exhuming 4, 1658, by the sacrament of confirma­ her remains might establish the cause tion administered by the Bishop of Malta The Dominican Father Osman of death at so young an age. Michele Belaguer, while Fra Luca Bueno What happened to baby Osman, the was his godfather. His life at the convent eldest son of Ibrahim, and successor to was so peaceful and welcoming that the throne? Various attempts at a huge Osman decided to join the community. ransom were refus~d and the Grand Fra Luca and the Grand Priory of the vin Malta. An Ottoman prince? Master was attracted to Osman as if he Conventual Church were appointed to were his son. When he started growing test his vocation. They confirmed his up, he was taken to participate at a din­ firm will and spirituality. Having com­ marauding tl:e sea during the Corso, ensued, but the decks of the galleon carrying a treasure of precious jew­ preparations for the defence of the ner held by the Grani Master. When he pleted the novitiate and obtained an the galleys of the Order of StJohn were so high that the knights were els, gold and silver objects. In the island. Besides, for reasons of safety refused to partake of any food and the apostolic brief and other essential avoided to capture ships belonging to unsuccessful to force a passage on hyperbolical words of the historian and security, he decided to lodge reason was sought, he replied in his gen­ papers, he was duly invested with the the Ottoman Sultan. board, suffering heavy casualties. It Bartolomeo dal Pozzo, the booty Zafira and the child prince inside the tle infantile voice that he would not eat white habit of the Dominican Order on ALBERT The unexpected once occurred in was only when the Capitana and the enriched half of Malta. Palace tower, heavily guarded. any food unless he was served on golden October 30, 1658 at the church of Our GANADO 1644, a memorable year in the history other two galleys joined the fray that After having emptied the galleon of As the alarm subsided following plates like His Err_inence! Lascaris Lady of the Grotto of Rabat. A year of of the Order's fleet. On August 27 of about 400 knights were fighting on its extraordinary cargo and having the start the Cretan war, they were immediately comrlied. late!~ Osman took the solemn vows of that year, six galleys of the Hospi­ board the galleon. · taken 380 prisoners, the six galleys taken back to the house of the rich At the time Zafira·s ladies were ran­ his profession. tallers set sail from the Malta's har­ At the end of a battle that lasted proceeded with their prize on the way merchant under the constant protec­ somed, Osman was less than 13 years Amid universal sadness, Osman, under bour towards the east under the com­ seven hours, the standard of the to Malta. However, severe storms tion of a company of soldiers and old and he became a solitary orphan. As his name of Fra Domenico di San Tom­ Among the precious memorabilia mand of the Captain General Fra Order was flying on the mast. Nine forced the ships to seek refuge in the surveillance of two prominent he was not a Chris1ian, he had not been maso, left Malta towards the end of exhibited from July to October last Gabriel de Chambres Boisbaudran. hospitallers had lost their lives, Crete and eventually the galleon was knights, Fra Tommaso de Hozes and baptised. The GrandMaster decided to March 1660 to fu_-ther his religious stud­ year in the exhibition Valletta and After a whole month of a useless with another 11 seriously wounded. abandoned, becoming a wreck at Cal­ Fra Dionisio de Pollastron Lailliere. give him a proper education as he did ies abroad. By the end of the year, after the Dominicans: A Common Journey search, the galleys were returning to Of the remaining soldiers and abria, in the extreme southwest of All the while, the house of Ribera was not wish to violate his sentiments. Var­ having spent some months in Naples, he at the Dominican priory in Valletta, base, but on be morning of Septem­ sailors, 116 were dead and over 251 Italy. It was only in February 1645 besieged by a crowd of curious peo­ ious options were discussed, including reached Rome where he was received by there was a simple chalice that ber 28, 70 rdles off Rhodes, they seriously wounded. But it was the that the galleys reached Malta. ple. Consequently, it was decided that trusting him to the Jesuit College, but Pope Alexander VII (1655-1667) with reveals a unique and incredible sighted some vessels leaving Constan­ grandest prize ever. · It was only some weeks afterwards no one could visit the inmates with­ eventually he was sent to the Domini­ affectionate kindness. story not widely known beyond the tinople for Alexandria. Little knowing The galleon was the largest vessel that the presence of the royal person­ out a wri:ten authorisation signed by can priory in Valletta, where he was His presence at Minerva College Dominican community. what was in store, the knights swiftly in the Ottoman fleet, known as the ages became known. Grand Master two Grand Crosses. received with great pomp and rever­ excited the curiosity of all Rome, from __.. It served a Catholic Ottoman set upon the e:temy vessels, capturing Gran Sultana, heavy with fabulous Jean Paul de Lascaris (1636-1657) The Grand Master treated them ence on November 17, 1654. the high prelate to the lowest inhabi­ prince to celebrate Holy Mass at the the two nearest to them. riches. It was stacked with mer­ ordered their release and they were with due deference and royal mag­ A saintly young De minican monk, Fr tant. Although exalted by many privi­ Church of Porto Salvo (Safe Haven) Suddenly, the captains of three chandise worth 200,000 scudi, housed in tpe palace of Ignazio Rib­ nificence. Their quarters were Giuseppe Cafa, wa; entrusted with his leges and favours, he spent a solitary as it was then known. It happened galleys, San Lorenzo, commanded era, a very rich merchant, familiar adorned with the tapestries education, assisted by another monk for life in his convent cell and very rarely in the 17th century when the Sultan by Fra Nicolo Cotoner, the Santa with the Turkish language. retrieved from the galleon, rich the child's literary accomplishments. He appeared in public. He became known of the Ottoman Empire and the Maria and the Vittoria, were staring In the meantime, Sultan Ibrahim, clothes were restored to them, "The knights were was kind and obedient, with a sharp as the Ottoman Father. The beautiful Zafira, Sultan Ibrahim l's favourite. Engraving taken from Knights of the Order of St John excitedly at a huge ship they had livid with anger and frustration at together with silver objects, and gifts mind, keen to learn, but he shied away at Howeve1~ in 1665, he visited Paris were still deadly enemies, although never seen before, the galleon of the unforeseen tragedy, was bent on given to them from time to time. ;Johann Peter Lotichius ® Matthaeus Merian, Theatri Europaei Fiinffter unaware that two the mention of religion. His ardent wish and was received by King Louis XIV :rheil. .. , Frankfurt, Andrea; Merian, 1707. ALBERT GANADO COLLECTION not as acrimonious as it was in the the Sultan's harem. The knights terrible revenge against all those he They were served by the royal ret­ was to remain a follJwer of Muhammad. accompanied by some French knights ~revious century. were completely unaware that two august personages could lay his hands upon. He vowed ir).ue of which Zafira was the master. The unexpected happened when he of the Order of StJohn. He made an . Notwithstanding the enormous august personages were on that war against Malta and gave orders to However, when her health started decided to become a Christian and appearance in Crete during the 1668 ihe Dominican convents in Malta. impostor, voluntary or involuntary, losses at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, huge ship, namely, the beautiful were Zafira, the build up a strong invading force. deteriorating from an unknown expressed the wish to be taught the Ottoman siege of the capital city Can­ He was back in the island on as some writers have claimed? the legend of the invincibility of the Zafira, the S:Iltan's favourite, and Breaking off the relations of neutral­ cause Lascaris placed at her disposal mysteries of the Faith. On January 6, dia, hoping to assist in turning the tide March 28, 1676 in poor health and Ottomans at sea still reigned supreme her two-year-old son Osman, born Sultan's favourite, ity with Venice, he attacked Crete, a for a change of air his palace at 1656, he was taken to the Conventual of war against the attacking forces. passed away in his early 30s on among the so-called infidels. How­ on January 2, 1642, son of s·ultan Venetian dominion, for having Boschetto, Verdala Palace, where she Church, knelt at the feet of the Grand When it was agreed that there was no October 25 of that year. Acknowledement ever, slowly but surely, circumstances Ibrahim I. She was travelling on a and her two-year­ hosted the Order's galleys, creating was sent in the Order's carriages, Prior (later Bishop af Malta), Fra Luca way for him to help, he went to Rome Was the Padre Ottomano the son I owe a debt of gratitude to Joseph in the Mediterranean started chang­ holy pilgrimage to Mecca with her a long disastrous conflict that sealed accompanied by the pages of Lascaris Bueno, and opted tc be baptised with and lived once more as a recluse. of Sultan Ibrahim, received in Schiro for typing the text and for giv­ -ing with the dramatic increase in numerous retinue and slaves. old son Osman, son the fate of Crete. himself. Both Lascaris and other the name: Domenico diS. Tommaso. He On July 4, 1675, he was appointed virtue of hts high birth by many ing me permission to reproduce the commerce between the Christian and Three galleys sprang to the attack In view of this increased tension knights, including Grand Crosses, received the sacrament of baptism on prior of the Dominican church of Porto European princes and sovereigns, very rare Sebastien Beaulieu de Pon­ of Sultan Ibrahim I" the Grand Master ordered immediate paid her regular visits. the Muslim worlds. Indeed, while still of the large vessel and a fierce battle February 23 of th~t year at a religious Salvo in Valletta and vicar general of or did he wear the crown of an tault print, titled Combat Naval1645. •J i j \ J l ' 'l , I I 'IiI .r \ I '!Ill J' Ill llJI