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Saverio Cassar (29 December 1746 – 16 December 1805) was a Gozitan priest and patriot, who was Governor-general of an independent Gozo from 1798 to 1801.

Cassar was born in Għajnsielem, in Nadur parish, Gozo on 29 December 1746. He studied in Rome, being ordained a priest on 30 March 1771. He was nominated archpriest of the Gozo Matrice in 1773, and he became Provicar of Gozo in 1775.

On 3 September 1798, Gozitans rebelled against the French occupiers, and on 18 September Cassar was appointed head of the Government and Superintendent of the Island of Gozo. The French garrisons at the Cittadella and Fort Chambray surrendered to the British on 28 and 29 October, and the British handed over the island to Cassar. He subsequently ruled Gozo as an independent state, recognizing Ferdinand III of Sicily as king. Cassar also petitioned for establishing Gozo as a separate diocese (the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gozo was eventually created in 1864).

The Maltese Congress of Mdina disapproved of Cassar's actions, and on 20 August 1801 the British appointed Emmanuele Vitale as Governor of Gozo instead of Cassar.

Cassar died on 16 December 1805 at the age of 58.

References

1. ^ Schiavone, Michael J. (2009). Dictionary of Maltese Biographies A-F. Malta: Publikazzjonijiet Indipendenza. pp. 533–534. ISBN 9789993291329.
2. "Historical Note". Gozo Diocese. Archived from the original on 23 March 2016.

v t e French occupation of Malta
Background	French Revolution Decline of the Order of St John Mediterranean campaign of 1798 French invasion of Malta
Occupation	Reforms Commission of Government Journal de Malte
Siege of Malta	National Congress Battalions Battle of the Malta Convoy Action of 31 March 1800 La Nazione Gozitana
Fortifications	French Valletta (Saluting Battery) Floriana Lines (Porte des Bombes) Cottonera Lines Fort Manoel Fort Ricasoli Fort Tigné Maltese & British Capuchin Convent Battery Corradino Batteries Għargħar Battery Jesuit Hill Battery Marsa Battery Mdina Saint Julian's Tower and Battery Saint Lucian Entrenchment and Redoubt Saint Peter's Battery San Rocco Battery San Rocco Redoubt Sliema Batteries Ta' Għemmuna Battery Tal-Borg Battery Tas-Samra Battery Windmill Redoubt Żabbar Batteries and Redoubt Żejtun Batteries
Notable figures	French Napoleon Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois Michel-Louis-Étienne Regnaud Jean de Bosredon de Ransijat Sylvain de Bosredon Louis Masson Maltese Emmanuele Vitale Francesco Saverio Caruana Vincenzo Borg Dun Mikiel Xerri Saverio Cassar British Horatio Nelson Alexander Ball Thomas Graham Henry Pigot Thomas Troubridge George Martin
Aftermath	Malta Protectorate Treaty of Paris

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• 1746 births
• 1805 deaths
• People from Victoria, Gozo
• 18th-century Maltese Roman Catholic priests
• Maltese rebels
• French occupation of Malta
• 18th-century Maltese politicians
• 19th-century Maltese politicians
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