ABSTRACT
In March 1235, from his castle at Orta near Foggia in Apulia, the Emperor Frederick II granted the Sicilian casale of Stafenda to Paolino de Malta. A different version of the complete text of Frederick II's grant reached Malta in 1645, when it was included in proofs of nobility presented to the Order of St. John by Fr. Agostino Ceva Grimaldi of Modica who was a Landolina on the maternal side. Paolino de Malta was probably a Sicilian or Italian whom Frederick sent as his agent to Malta; he was less likely to have been a Latin who had settled on that island. The grant of the casale suggests that he was being rewarded for his Maltese service. A complete copy of the grant, taken from the same chancery register for 1453/4, was sent to Malta in 1638. The copy of 1638 contained a few errors and variations with respect to that of 1454.
