21 Facts About Girolamo Cassar

Girolamo Cassar was a Maltese architect and military engineer.

Girolamo Cassar was the resident engineer of the Order of St John, and was admitted into the Order in 1567.

Girolamo Cassar was involved in the construction of Valletta, initially as an assistant to Francesco Laparelli, before taking over the project himself.

Girolamo Cassar designed many public, religious and private buildings in the new capital city, including Saint John's Co-Cathedral, the Grandmaster's Palace and the auberges.

Girolamo Cassar was the father of Vittorio Cassar, another architect and engineer.

Girolamo Cassar had two brothers, named Andreas and Ians, and married his wife Mathia in the early 1560s after which they had five children -two boys, Vittorio and Gabriele; and three girls, Marietta, Battistina and Caterinella.

Girolamo Cassar had another child, Gio Domenico, from an extra-matrimonial relationship which he made sure to inherit none of his will and testament, ironically justifying himself by writing that his son was disobedient.

Girolamo Cassar was initially a capomastro, and he was a pupil of Evangelista Menga, the resident engineer of the Order of St John.

Girolamo Cassar worked as a military engineer during the Battle of Djerba in 1560 and the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.

In 1566, the Order decided to construct a new capital city Valletta, and Girolamo Cassar became the assistant of Francesco Laparelli, the Italian military engineer who had been sent to design the city's fortifications and grid plan.

At this point, the Grand Master issued him a passport and Girolamo Cassar spent the rest of the year touring Italian cities, including Naples, Rome and Lucca.

Girolamo Cassar became familiar with the Mannerist style during this tour, and he employed this style in many of his later buildings.

Girolamo Cassar designed many public, religious and private buildings within the city, including the Grandmaster's Palace, the seven original auberges and the Conventual Church of St John.

Girolamo Cassar designed a few buildings outside the capital city, most notably the Verdala Palace in Buskett.

The date and circumstances of Girolamo Cassar's death are not recorded.

Girolamo Cassar is believed to have died in around 1592 in Valletta.

Girolamo Cassar was buried in the Church of Porto Salvo in the same city.

Girolamo Cassar was married to Mattea Cassar, and they had five children:.

The Girolamo Cassar family was sufficiently wealthy, and they had at least two slaves.

Many of Girolamo Cassar's buildings were altered or demolished between the 17th and the 20th centuries, and very few buildings still retain his original design.

The only auberge in Valletta retaining Girolamo Cassar's facade is Auberge d'Aragon, with the only alteration being a portico which was added to the main doorway in the 19th century.