Execution of Maltese patriot Dun Mikiel Xerri
- When
- 1799
- Where
- Valletta and Cottonera, targets of the planned attack; Valletta, Malta (per legacy record; passages confirm date but not site)
- Episodes
- 2
In January 1799, Maltese patriot Dun Mikiel Xerri and other captured locals were executed after a planned attack on French-held Valletta and Cottonera was discovered. The 61-year-old Xerri, a Żebbuġ-born patriot who had joined the revolt against French rule, died on 17 January 1799.
Episodes
- Discovery of the plot and arrests
A planned Maltese attack on French forces in Valletta and Cottonera was discovered, leading to 49 arrests including Xerri.
- Execution of Xerri and his companions
After a morning visit from Archbishop Labini, Xerri and other locals were executed on 17 January 1799 at age 61.
Background and detail
Background. Dun Mikiel Xerri was born in Żebbuġ on Hospitaller Malta on 29 September 1737 and baptised Mikael Archangelus Joseph in the parish church of Żebbuġ on 30 September 1737, son of Bartholomew Xerri and his wife Anne. He studied at different universities in Europe and became a Maltese patriot.
The Discovered Plot. The Maltese planned an attack against the French forces in Valletta and in Cottonera, but the French discovered the plot. In the ensuing investigation 49 persons were captured, among them Dun Mikiel Xerri.
Execution. On the morning of 17 January 1799 the archbishop of Malta, Labini, visited Xerri and his companions. That day Xerri, together with other locals, was executed at the age of 61, following his participation in the unsuccessful revolt to overthrow French rule.
People involved
- Dun Mikiel Xerri · Maltese patriot executed for participating in the revolt against French rule
- Labini · Archbishop of Malta who visited Xerri and his companions on the morning of the execution
Sources
- Dun Mikiel Xerri Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-25
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.