Mikiel Fsadni, of Il-Kantilena, a document that is widely considered to be the oldest work of Maltese literature.
His father, the headmaster of schools in Mellieħa and Għargħur died from cancer during Wettinger's childhood.
[2] Following his father's death, he was raised in Mellieħa by his mother and attended the Lyceum in Ħamrun as a student.
[1] Wettinger started lecturing at the University of Malta in 1972 and held various posts at the university throughout his career, including Head of the Department of History and Dean of the Faculty of Arts.
[1][8] In 2014, Wettinger was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award for his contribution to literature during the National Book Prize, held by Malta's National Book Council.