Lampedusa, a small island to the west of Malta, is just one third the size of Gozo. Though today it forms part of Italy, the island’s past is closely tied to Maltese history.

As It-Temp Madwarna explains, around 200 years ago Lampedusa was inhabited exclusively by Maltese people. At the time, the island was under the control of Maltese businessman Salvatore Gatt, who had leased it from the noble Sicilian Tomasi family. The Tomasi family had managed the island for roughly 250 years before Gatt took over.

In fact, the renowned historical novel Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) was written by Giuseppe Tomasi, a descendant of the same Sicilian family that once held Lampedusa.

During British rule in Malta, the island was even considered as a possible fallback should Malta ever return to the control of the Order of St John. However, Lampedusa lacked both fortifications and a suitable harbour, making it impractical for such a purpose.

At one point, there were also suggestions that Maltese farmers could be sent to cultivate the island, reducing Malta’s dependence on produce imported from Sicily, Russia, and Turkey. In fact, over 200 Maltese settlers did make the move to Lampedusa, but by 1813, they had all returned home after a devastating yellow fever outbreak struck the island, following the arrival of the HMS Partridge.

In 1810, Maltese merchants leased Lampedusa to Alexander Fernandez of the Army Commissariat in the Mediterranean. However, the British authorities quickly grew wary of his conduct. When the Governor later visited the island, he discovered that Fernandez had turned it into a private business venture. As a result, all British troops stationed there were withdrawn.

Control of the island reverted to Maltese hands, but tragedy soon followed. Salvatore Gatt, who had previously leased Lampedusa, mysteriously died or disappeared sometime between 1813 and 1821. The island then fell under the control of Fortunato Frendo, who had infamously murdered Gatt’s wife.

By 1840, the Tomasi family — original owners of Lampedusa — sold the island to King Ferdinand II of Naples, officially making it part of the Kingdom of Naples.

Today, the island tells a very different story. Once tied so closely to Malta’s history, Lampedusa is now home to around 4,000 refugees who were rescued after perilous journeys across the Mediterranean.