Girolamo Cassar

He 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.

[1] He 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.

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.

[2] Cassar was initially a capomastro (master builder), and he was a pupil of Evangelista Menga, the resident engineer of the Order of St. John.

At this point, the Grand Master issued him a passport and Cassar spent the rest of the year touring Italian cities,[3] including Naples, Rome and Lucca.

Other buildings which retain Cassar's exterior design include Saint John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta and the Church of St. Mark in Rabat, although their interiors were altered over time.