Carmelo Borg Pisani

**Carmelo Borg Pisani** (August 10, 1915–November 28, 1942) was a Maltese who considered himself to be Italian. Politically he was a pro-Italian Maltese and Italian nationalist. He was born in Senglea (Malta) and executed at _Corradino_ prison in Malta .

## The Gold Medal of Military Valour of Carmelo B. Pisani

Carmelo Borg Pisani is the only Maltese decorated with the Italian "Gold Medal of military honor". He is also the only man born outside Italy to have received this honor.

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## Involvement with Fascist Italy

Born into a very well respected Catholic and Nationalist Maltese family, Pisani enrolled as a student at the _Umberto Primo art lyceum_, where he won a scholarship to study in Rome. In Italy he showed support for fascism and Italian irredentism.

### 1940

When war was declared on June 10, 1940, Pisani, who had just requested the Italian citizenship, was still attending the _Accademia di Belle Arti_ (the "National Academy of Arts" of Italy) in Rome. Pisani believed that Malta's Latin soul was being destroyed by British rule. He also believed that the best opportunity to restore Malta to its original state was to expel the British.

### 1941

To this end, Pisani joined the Fascist party of Italy and the "Black shirt" (Camicie Nere) paramilitary organisation. This led him to participate in the Italian occupation of Kefalonia in Greece with the _Compagnia Speciale del Gruppo CC.NN. da sbarco della 50a Legione_. He decided to get the Italian citizenship in 1940. In 1941 he was enrolled in the Italian Navy as a "Sottocapo Manipolo Milizia Artiglieria Marittima".

### 1942

On May 18, 1942, Pisani was sent on a secret mission to be the first Axis spy on the island of Malta. This was in line with Benito Mussolini's ambitions to have the British turn the island over to Italy.

Pisani disembarked at the "Dingli Cliffs" in Ras id-Dawwara, and transferred all his rations to the cave, which he knew well from his youth. The unusually inclement weather and the rough sea, however, washed all his possessions away within 48 hours and he was forced to wave down a British patrol boat. Upon rescue, he was brought to the Military Hospital at Mtarfa.

There, Pisani was recognized by one of his childhood friends, British Capitain Tom Warrington. He was transferred to Corradino prison, questioned, and accused of treason. On November 12, 1942, he stood trial. The public was excluded to avoid a possible hostile reaction from the Maltese Fascists; however, by this time, the fascists in Malta were either interned in Uganda or deported to Italy.

Since the "Maltese Legal Code" was suspended during the war, a jury was not convened. In addition, the judges did not consider his renouncement of British citizenship and passport, his acquisition of Italian citizenship, and his participation in combat with the Italian Army. In fact, the latter only weakened his position, since he fought against Greece, an ally of the United Kingdom. On November 19, 1942, he was sentenced to death for conspiring against His Majesty's government and for treason. His execution followed quickly in just nine days.

## Awards

The King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, awarded him a few days after his death with the highest Italian military medal (the "Medaglia d'oro al Valor Militare alla memoria"), because he considered Carmelo Borg Pisani an Italian soldier with Italian citizenship. His family still awaits approval to bury his body outside the garrison where was executed.

Mussolini called him a "Maltese Martyr" and created in his honor in Liguria the "Battaglione Borg Pisani" in November 1943, where other Maltese irredentists fought. His tomb is still in "Corradino" jail. Inside his own jail was found written by him: "I vili ed i servi non sono graditi al Signore" (_The cowards and the servants are not esteemed by the Lord_).

## Related pages

- Maltese people

## Bibliography

- L. Mizzi. _Per il sogno della sua vita_ Volpe ed. Roma, 1981.
- G. Vignoli. _Gli Italiani dimenticati. Minoranze italiane in Europa_ Giuffré ed. Milano, 2000.
- L. Mizzi. _Il-Kaz Borg Pisani_. Sittin sena Wara, PEG publications. Valletta, 2003.
- S. Fabei. _Carmelo Borg Pisani (1915-1942) - eroe o traditore?_ Lo Scarabeo ed. Bologna, 2007.

## Other websites

- http://www.carmeloborgpisani.20m.com/ Site which claims Pisani as a hero. It quotes Dom Mintoff, who served several times as the Prime Minister of Maltese government during British and independent times. (English and Maltese)
- More Maltese irredentists are mentioned there.

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Carmelo Borg Pisani
- **image**: Carmelo-borg-pisani-18.jpg
- **nationality**: Kingdom of Italy, Maltese Italian
- **occupation**: Spy, Servizio Informazioni Militare, SIM
- **years active**: 1941–1942
- **birth place**: Senglea, Malta Colony, Malta
- **death place**: Paola, Malta, Paola, Malta
- **death cause**: Hanging, Execution by hanging