[5] In the mid 13th Century, the strategically important island of Malta was ruled by the Angevin Kingdom of Naples and Sicily under Charles I of Anjou.

[7] With revolt flaring on Sicily and open war raging between Aragon and Angevin Naples, the Maltese populace rose in a general insurrection on the islands in the autumn of 1282.

The revolt was bolstered by an Aragonese force led by Manfred de Lancia, brother-in-law of Aragon's leading admiral, Roger of Lauria.

The Angevin fleet, however, had been badly attritted by the early months of the war (most notably during the evacuation of Messina and Battle of Nicotera) and so had to be replenished.

According to the contemporary Ramon Muntaner in his chronicle, the Angevins sent three light scouting galleys[n 6], towards the Boca del Faro, in front of the small tower of the Messina lighthouse.

When King Peter III departed for Aragon, he left a sizeable force of galleys under the command of Admiral Roger of Lauria.

After resting overnight, the Aragonese fleet set sail for the south east coast of Sicily, rather than head for Malta directly.

As the Angevin relief fleet approached Malta, the Aragonese forces besieging the Castello retreated to the old city of Citta Notabile.

Lauria also modified the formation so that his ships stood apart with room for their oars to be deployed, thus allowing for his fleet to advance forward as a unit.

According to a later account, the Angevin admirals received faulty intelligence from a ship they had sent to scout the Aragonese fleet, and so believed they only faced 11–12 enemy galleys.

The Angevins, with their French-Provencal knights, had an advantage in heavy infantry, while the elite almogavars and crossbowmen in the Aragonese crews made them dangerous at range.

The notables pleaded with him not to do any damage, saying that the city would put itself in the keeping and the command of the King of Aragon, and that Malta would surrender to Lauria.

[14] The notables of Malta gave Lauria one thousand onzas in jewels and precious stones, as well as enough provisions to allow a safe passage to Messina.

[14] Muntaner asserts that after sharing the victory in Malta, the Aragonese and the Sicilians united themselves in the "bonds of friendship...which is an incontestable proof of good government.

"[14] The crushing defeat forced the postponement of Angevin plans to invade Sicily, established Aragonese naval tactic superiority and set the scene for the Battle of the Gulf of Naples in 1284.

[5] The Aragonese fleet continued to sail back northwards, and after making a demonstration off Naples, and raiding the neighbouring coast, Lauria attacked and then garrisoned the islands of Capri and Ischia.