Merħba! We are excited to welcome you all to the Apap surname project. The Apap family are a noble family originating from the island of Gozo in the Maltese Archipelago. The island and its people have a complex history spanning many thousands of years. Though the island has been inhabited since the most ancient of times, is thought that at one point the island of Gozo may have been left uninhabited or sparsely populated during the middle ages. The Apap family first appear in records from the late 1400s, so are a moderately prominent family in the island's history, though some families are older. In the earliest records the surname De Apapis was used. Milite Lancea De Apapis was Hakem (leader) of all of Gozo from 1490 to 1495 and was captain of the garrison at the Citadel in Rabat. One legend status that the Apap family were granted lands in Gozo through their connections to the Kingdom of Sicily particularly in the area of ta Ghammar in Gharb. In 1551, a notable relative Don Lorenzo De Apapis was kidnapped in the Ottoman slave trade and held at substantial ransom. Fortunately, his family were able to pay and he was subsequently released, becoming an eminent figure in the early history of St George church in Rabat. In the centuries that followed, the Apap family were afforded special privileges within Gozo, such as being exempt from having to pay certain taxes or volunteer as part of the garrison as a result of their noble status. They held additional lands in the area around Dwejra. According to the author Abela: "I find that this family had certain privileges that no other Gozitan or Maltese family had; they were unique: one of them was that this family was called “Apapia della Loggia,” the only one exempt from paying the fee for not keeping watch at Qala tal-Magħrax (2), at a time when everyone else was obliged to perform guard duty. The other families were all obliged to pay it. This privilege still applies to all those who bear the surname Apap, as they alone among all others are exempt from paying the Wardija right to the Governor. I know that the Governors always safeguarded this privilege for this family. However, this Apap family was obliged to always keep either a mule, or a mare, for the needs that might arise in case of an assault or sudden attack. According to what our ancestors said, this Apap family had another privilege granted to it by the kings, but since I did not find it matching with what I read in the University Registry of 1704, where it is written what the people of honor said on April 4, 1577, I will leave it out and not mention it. From this family, I know of Dr. Dun Ġanpiet Apap, who was a Canon Theologian of this collegiate church, Minister of the Holy Office Tribunal for Gozo, a priest of good repute, loved the choir, and was of great charity. This Canon paid 500 scudi so that he would not be made to wear the robe that the Chapter wears and that clergy wear. He also died as a result of his dedication to the church of St. James and for the church and convent of the Capuchins. — He died in Gozo and is buried in the collegiate church on March 19, 1739. Many churches were founded and built by members of the Apap family, and many others benefited greatly from them. Among them is one who is said to be taken from those who bear the Apap surname and is the closest relative, called “of Qabbieza,” or “of Dwejra,” or “of the Poor,” descended from Aloysio Apap in the deeds of Ġakbu Saliba, on July 14, 1502." The family branched out from Gozo to the main island of Malta during the 18th century and has since then now has strong contingents in Australia, Gibraltar, America, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. Noble lineages associated with the family include Apap Bologna, Testeferrata, Sciberras, Inguanez and Apapov (Russia). The Apapov were connected with the Knights Templar and were based in St Petersburg. The De Apapis family were descendants of Friedrich Von Hohenstaufen, Roger II of Sicily and Charlemagne amongst other notable figures, through Salvatore De Apapis' wife Leonora De Nasi who was a descendants of the Dukes of Argos and Nauplia (De Chiaramonte etc). FURTHER READING: https://maltagenealogy.com/apap/ MAJOR PROJECT MILESTONES: 2017: Traditional genealogical research on Apap surname begins. Lineage back to 1450 is finalised. Estimation from autosomal test shows likely R1a 2021: First Y37 test is undertaken, result R1a 2022-2024: The Apap family tree continues to grow outwards, with upwards of 2000 individuals identified and connected to a common ancestor. Many traditional laqam (Maltese family nicknames) also collected. 2024: Big Y700 concludes RCTS1211, surname project formally started. Efforts to recruit more individuals continues.