Andrea Belli Explained

Andrea Belli
Birth Date:13 October 1703
Birth Place:Valletta, Hospitaller Malta
Death Date:19 October 1772 (aged 69)
Nationality:Maltese
Occupation:Architect and businessman
Notable Works:Auberge de Castille
Style:Baroque
Children:Giuseppe Belli
Mother:Francesca Romano
Father:Giuseppe Belli

Andrea Belli (13 October 1703 – 19 October 1772) was a Maltese architect and businessman. He designed several Baroque buildings, including Auberge de Castille in Valletta, which is now the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta.

Life and career

He was born in Valletta on 13 October 1703 to the surgeon Giuseppe Belli and his wife Francesca Romano. He spent some time in Venice as a youth, and he later traveled to Austria and (Germany).[1]

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.[2]

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.[3]

Under the influence of his brother Gabriele, listener of the Master Mason Pinto,[4] [5] Andrea got regular commissioned works by the Order of Malta as designer of the main buildings of the 18th century Maltese Baroque architecture.

Notable buildings made or attributed to him include:[1] [6]

Auberge de Castille is regarded as his masterpiece.[1]

Belli was also involved in business, and in 1741 he took over the firm of the Manoel Theatre.[1]

Belli married Teresa Gam on 5 June 1737, and they had one son called Giuseppe.[1]

He died on 19 October 1772 at the age of 69.[1]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: Schiavone. Michael J.. Dictionary of Maltese Biographies Vol. 1 A-F. 2009. Pubblikazzjonijiet Indipendenza. Pietà. 9789993291329. 192.
  2. Book: 60th anniversary of the Malta Historical Society: a commemoration. Zabbar. Joseph F. Grima. Veritas Press. 2010. 978-99932-0-942-3. 779340904. Ellul. Michael. Malta Limestone goes to Europe: Use of Malta Stone outside Malta. 371–406. https://web.archive.org/web/20190325173202/http://maltahistory.eu5.net/60/60_25.html. 25 March 2019.
  3. Representation of architects and building projects in seicento and settecento local art, Malta. Christine Stefanie. Kunkler. academia.edu.
  4. Book: Albert Ganado . Palace of the Grand Masters in Valletta . 38 . Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti . 2001 . 264974877 . 9789993210122.
  5. Book: Giovanni Bonello . Giovanni Bonello . Histories of Malta . 161 . 1 . Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti . 2000 . 9789993210016 . 48039980.
  6. Book: Gaul, Simon. Malta, Gozo and Comino. New Holland publishers. 2007. 325. 9781860113659.
  7. Web site: One World – Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of Valletta (12). The Times. Malta.
  8. Mifsud, Maria (23 November 2008). Restoring old buildings. The Times (Malta). Archived from the original on 1 April 2016.

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