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Antonio Inguanez, (Died 1457) Baron di Ghariexem e Tabia, Signor di Saccaja, Mugiarro and San Giorgio His Offsprings |
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Antonio Inguanez, round whom most affairs of
Malta revolved between 1427 and 1457, was also the husband of Imperia Gatto ,
the last direct representative of the Gatto family. By Imperia Gatto, Antonio
had Six Sons and Five Daughters, but also had three offical children from his
concubines. Undoubttedly, this Maltese patrican, referred to after his death
as Civis Civitatis Meliveti, could well afford to maintain a large
family because in their large joint Will, Antonio and Imperia recorded and
described in detail their extensive estate in
In
His two married daughters were to recieve
only a token of 10 onies each. However, his sons were to provide 1200 uncie,
made up of money jewels, silver, property, and six slaves for their sisters,
Betta, Agnese and Clara, to marry according to the custom in Malta: in meliori loco quam
dicte Insulae Meliveti. But their husbands had to be virtuous and wealthy
gentlemen gentilomini et virtusi et da beni. The sons were not
allowed to keep horses until they honoured these obligations. Its is assumed
that the married daughters, Paola and Beatrice, had already recieived their
dowry. This implies that Antonio had enough to provide the fabulous sum of
2000 oncies for his daughters' dowries.
Apart from the fiefs, Inguanez was
particular proud of his gallery and his palace. The fomer was left to his
first born sons primogenito Angarua, who was also allowed to retain all the booty ex Fusta armata ad
piraticam. The booty included nine captured Saracens, two of whom ,
although chained, had managed to escape. One of these was 'Attardo' who had
renounced the catholic faith and adopted Islamseptam saracinorum.
Even today one cannot but appreciate the
splendid portrait of the medieval palace so graphically described by its
first Inguanez landlord. This palace, constantly referred to as ospicium, was to be shared
by Angarua and his brother Francesco Gatto Inguanez. Apparently it had then a
complicated system of entrances and exits. Next to the sleeping quarters is
the cammara nova magna , where King Alfonso I of
When his wife died, Antonio felt he had
every right to modify the joint Will. In two seperate Codicils he therefore
made certain allowances for his three illegitate children. Matheo Inguanez,
and Caterina Inguanez were given token legacy. Violante de Luna, was a
wealthy widow and Antonio's mistress, by whom he had a daughter, Agata, who
was assigned 300 florins for her dowry. The Baron Antonio excluded all his
illegitimate grand children from his estate. But he did give their father, venerablis Dominus
Lancia the necessary permission to dispose of his own share of the
inheritance to his sons, and to one of his daughters, Betta. However, the
'mother of mothers' of Lancia's children were categorically excluded in
perpetuity. Lancia's portion included the lands of Mtarfa, the fief of
Ghariexem, and boves sex et vaccas duas. Like all the heirs , he was told that he
should be happy and satisfied with all that-tuctu quillu-which was assigned
to him and must not ask for more.
Before Antonio Inguanez died in 1457, he
bound his son Lancia, as the priest of the family, to make sure that four
masses were celebrated every week in the family chapel of out lady of
Monserrat which was attached to the Cathedral. Lancia was the Archdeacon of
the Cathedral of Mdina.
Territories and Fiefs owned by Antonio and
Imperia Inguanez
* Ghajn Qollija
* IL-Bajjada
* Tal-Hanzira
* Tal-Hmar
* Buqana
* Budaq
* Habel Gnien
* IL-Hofra
* Hemsija
* Djar-il-Bniet
* Ghariexem e Tabia
* Gebel Ghurab
* id-Dwiewer
* Wied Gerzuma
* Wied il-Busbies
* Madiura de Xien
* Mizieb ir-Rih
* Mtarfa
*
* Saqqajja
* Tabria-Forfeited in 1453 and acquired by
Giovanni Landolina
* Marsa- was acquired in 1456 by Francesco
Gatto Inguanez
* Qattara-Held by a female member of the
Inguanez.
* Gnien il-Firen-Held by a female member of
the Inguanez.
* Ghajn Tufegha-Held by a female member of
the Inguanez.
The Descendants up to three generations
Antonio Inguanez, (died 1457),Baron of Ghariexem,...Married Imperia Gatto, 4th Baroness of
Djar-il-Bniet and Buqana..., with issue.
Mistress to Violante de Luna, Antonia Samud,
Luca-"Slave", Ismiraldi-"Slave" and Meymuna-"Freed
Slave"
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