Andrea Belli (13 October 1703 – 19 October 1772) was a

Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...

architect and businessman. He designed several Baroque buildings, including

Auberge de Castille The Auberge de Castille ( mt, Berġa ta' Kastilja) is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. The auberge is located at Castile Place, close to Saint James Cavalier, the Malta Stock Exchange, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. It sits at the highest ...

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 was ...

, which is now the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta.

Life and career

He was born in

on 13 October 1703 to the surgeon Giuseppe Belli and his wife Francesca Romano. He spent some time in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

as a youth, and he later traveled to

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

and (Germany). Auberge de Castille in Valletta, Malta (29359161198)

As an entrepreneur, Belli became a successful businessman by having achieved monopoly from Grand Master Pinto over the export of Maltese limestone and other products to Africa, Asia and Europe. Belli became an architect, and he designed several buildings in the Baroque style. A possible portrait of him with the design of Casa Manresa (today the Curia of the Bishop) dates to his lifetime. Under the influence of his brother Gabriele, listener of the Master Mason

Pinto Pinto is a Portuguese, Spanish, Jewish (Sephardic), and Italian surname. It is a high-frequency surname in all Portuguese-speaking countries and is also widely present in Spanish-speaking countries, Italy, India especially in Mangalore, Kar ...

, Andrea got regular commissioned works by the Order of Malta as designer of the main buildings of the 18th century

Maltese Baroque architecture Maltese Baroque architecture is the form of Baroque architecture that developed in Malta during the 17th and 18th centuries, when the islands were under the rule of the Order of St. John. The Baroque style was introduced in Malta in the early 17t ...

. Notable buildings made or attributed to him include: *Seminary (now the Cathedral Museum),

Mdina Mdina ( mt, L-Imdina ; phn, 𐤌𐤋𐤈, Maleṭ; grc, Μελίττη, Melíttē; ar, مدينة, Madīnah; ), also known by its Italian-language titles ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortified city in the Northern Region of Ma ...

(1733–42, attributed) *Augustinian priory, Rabat (1740) *

(1741–45) *Bishop's curia,

Floriana Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana ...

(1743) *Centrepiece of Bishop's Palace, Valletta *Church of Our Lady of Divine Providence,

Siġġiewi Siġġiewi ( mt, Is-Siġġiewi, ), also called by its title Città Ferdinand, is a city and a local council in the Southern Region of Malta. It is the third largest council in Malta by surface area, after Rabat and Mellieħa respectively. It ...

(1750) * Palazzo Don Raimondo (formerly the National Museum of Fine Arts), Valletta (1761–63) *St. Philip Neri church,

Birgu Birgu ( mt, Il-Birgu , it, Vittoriosa), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ("''Victorious City''"), is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory of ...

(attributed) *Palazzo Bonici, Valletta *Chapel at

Villa Cagliares A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became sm ...

in Zejtun (attributed)Mifsud, Maria (23 November 2008)
Restoring old buildings
''

The Times (Malta) The ''Times of Malta'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Malta. Founded in 1935, by Lord and Lady Strickland and Lord Strickland's daughter Mabel, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in Malta. It has the widest circu ...

''. Archived from th
original
on 1 April 2016. Auberge de Castille is regarded as his masterpiece. Belli was also involved in business, and in 1741 he took over the firm of the

Manoel Theatre (Maltese for "Manoel Theatre"; it, Teatro Manoel) is a theatre and important performing arts venue in Malta. The theatre is often referred to as simply "The Manoel", and is named after Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller, Fra ...

. Belli married Teresa Gam on 5 June 1737, and they had one son called Giuseppe. He died on 19 October 1772 at the age of 69.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belli, Andrea 1703 births 1772 deaths 18th-century Maltese architects 18th-century Maltese businesspeople People from Valletta Architects of Roman Catholic churches Maltese Baroque architects Maltese slave owners

Life and career

Further reading

References