Baldassare Cagliares

Cagliares Palace at the Cittadella, built in 1620

Baldassare Cagliares was born in Valletta in 1575.[1] The exact day and month are not known. His father was of Spanish descent and his mother was a Maltese from Victoria, Gozo. Pope Paul V appointed Cagliares bishop of Malta in 1615 when he was 40 years old. Bishop Cagliares was a person who loved art and lived in a period where the church and state were competing to carry out the best works of art. He was also the only Maltese Bishop chosen to lead the Maltese diocese when Malta was under the rule of the Order of St John between 1530 and 1798. During his reign he built numerous villas in various localities around Malta such as in Żejtun, the Cittadella in Gozo and another in Buskett.[2] Also Bishop Cagliares established a number of parishes such as the parish of Qrendi in 1618[3] and restored the parish of Dingli by appointing a rector for the local church of the village which was left without a priest for a number of years.[4] Bishop Cagliares died on 4 August 1633 at the age of 58 after 18 years as bishop.