Antonio Cachia (1739–1813) was a Maltese architect, civil and military engineer and archaeologist who was active in the late 18th and early 19th century. He was the son of the architect Gio Domenico Cachia, who was possibly the same person as

Domenico Cachia Domenico Cachia ( mt, Duminku Cachia, 1690–1761) was a Maltese ''capomastro'' (master builder) who was involved in the construction of several notable buildings, including Auberge de Castille in Valletta and St Helen's Basilica in Birkirkar ...

, the ''capomastro'' who supervised the construction of

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 poin ...

. He was a cousin of

Michele Cachia Michele Cachia ( mt, Mikiel Cachia; 30 September 1760 – 24 January 1839) was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He is also known for his role during the Maltese uprising of 1798–1800. Life Michele Cachia was born on 30 September 17 ...

, another architect and military engineer. Cachia became ''Capomastro delle Opere'' in 1779. In 1787, he received the title of Knight Commander of the

Order of the Golden Spur The Order of the Golden Spur ( it, Ordine dello Speron d'Oro, french: Ordre de l'Éperon d'or), officially known also as the Order of the Golden Militia ( la, Ordo Militia Aurata, it, Milizia Aurata), is a papal order of knighthood conferre ...

by Pope Pius VI. He was in charge of works on various fortifications, including the upgrading of

Fort Ricasoli Fort Ricasoli ( mt, Forti Rikażli) is a bastioned fort in Kalkara, Malta, which was built by the Order of Saint John between 1670 and 1698. The fort occupies a promontory known as Gallows' Point and the north shore of Rinella Bay, commanding th ...

and the construction of

Fort Tigné Fort Tigné ( mt, Il-Forti Tigné - Il-Fortizza ta' Tigné) is a polygonal fort in Tigné Point, Sliema, Malta. It was built by the Order of Saint John between 1793 and 1795 to protect the entrance to Marsamxett Harbour, and it is one of the o ...

. In

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 wa ...

, he designed or built the Church of St. Dominic, the Church of St. Augustine and St. Catherine's Monastery. He is said to have completed the Bibliotheca, which had been designed by

Stefano Ittar Stefano Ittar (March 15, 1724 - January 18, 1790) was a Polish-Italian architect. Biography Ittar was born in Owrucz (then in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, now in Ukraine), where his father, a member of one of Italy's aristocratic fa ...

. Cachia also designed several gardens, including the ''

Ġonna tal-Kmand The ''Ġonna tal-Kmand'' (), formerly known as ''Ġonna tal-Kutnent'' () and sometimes known as ''Ball Gardens'', are a group of gardens in various localities in Malta, which were built in the early years of the 19th century when the island was a ...

'' in various localities around Malta and the Lower Argotti Gardens in

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 ...

. He also redesigned the

Floriana Granaries 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 ...

and the Market House (now known as

Middle Sea House Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...

). Cachia eventually became chief Superintendent of the Civil dockyard. Throughout his life, Cachia was a member of several European architectural academies. He died on 6 June 1813.

References

1739 births 1813 deaths 18th-century Maltese architects 19th-century Maltese architects Maltese civil engineers Maltese military engineers Maltese archaeologists Architects of Roman Catholic churches {{Malta-stub

Further reading

References