Cesar Castellani

Last updated

Cesar Castellani (died 2 August 1905) was an architect. He was born in Malta. He was attracted by the prosperity of British Guiana and emigrated there in 1860 with a group of Italian priests. [1]

Designs

Castellani designed a number of prominent buildings in Guyana, including Brickdam Cathedral; Castellani House, [2] once the Guyana Prime Minister's residence; [3] the Brickdam Police Station; [4] and the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. [1]

He made alterations and additions to the Church of the Sacred Heart on Main Street (1872-1882), [1] which opened in 1861, for the colony's Madeiran labourers.

The design of the Victoria Law Courts, credited to Baron Harco Theodor Hora Siccama, has Castellani's signature style, and Castellani was working for Siccama as a draughtsman. [5]

In 1875, he completed the installation of a sunken panelled ceiling of the Parliamentary chamber in the eastern wing of the Parliament Building. [6]

Cesar Castellani died in Georgetown, British Guiana on 2 August 1905. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgetown, Guyana</span> Capital of Guyana

Georgetown is the capital and largest city of Guyana. It is situated in Demerara-Mahaica, region 4, on the Atlantic Ocean coast, at the mouth of the Demerara River. It is nicknamed the "Garden City of the Caribbean." It is the retail, administrative, and financial services centre of the country, and the city accounts for a large portion of Guyana's GDP. The city recorded a population of 118,363 in the 2012 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Amsterdam, Guyana</span> Town and regional capital in East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana

New Amsterdam is the regional capital of East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana and one of the country's largest towns. It is 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the capital, Georgetown and located on the eastern bank of the Berbice River, 6 km (4 mi) upriver from its mouth at the Atlantic Ocean, and immediately south of the Canje River. New Amsterdam's population is 17,329 inhabitants as of 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's College, Georgetown</span> Public secondary school in Georgetown, Guyana

Queen's College (QC) is the first ranked secondary school in Georgetown, Guyana. Queen's college is also ranked as the most prestigious high school in the Caribbean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Georgetown</span>

Brickdam Cathedral, more formally known as the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, is the Roman Catholic cathedral in Georgetown, Guyana, and is the leading Catholic church of the country. Built in the 1920s, it is constructed in a Romanesque architectural style designed by Leonard Stokes, and is 200 feet long and 1,000 feet wide. The centre ceiling is 60 feet 6 inches high, and the dome reaches 74 feet 10 inches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stabroek Market</span>

Stabroek Market is the largest market of Georgetown, Guyana. Located in the centre of the capital city, the market is housed in an iron and steel structure with a prominent clock tower.

Stabroek was the old name of Georgetown, Guyana, between 1784 and 1812, and was the capital of Demerara. Stabroek is currently a ward in the centre of Georgetown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament Building, Guyana</span> Seat of the National Assembly of Guyana

The Parliament Building houses the National Assembly of Guyana, and is located in the capital Georgetown. The building was designed by Joseph Hadfield, and is located in Brickdam where the Court of Policy used to be. The building was completed on 21 February 1834. The Parliamentary Chamber contains a decorated ceiling designed by Cesar Castellani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Andrew's Kirk, Georgetown</span> Church in Georgetown, Guyana

St. Andrew's Kirk is one of the oldest buildings in Georgetown, Guyana that has been continually in use for religious purposes. The Dutch Reformed congregation laid its foundations in 1811. However, due to financial difficulties it was acquired by Scottish Presbyterians and was formally opened for service on 28 February 1818.

The Railways of Guyana comprised two public railways, the Demerara-Berbice Railway and the Demerara-Essequibo Railway. There are also several industrial railways mainly for the bauxite industry. The Demerara-Berbice Railway is the oldest in South America. None of the railways are in operation in the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgetown City Hall</span> City Hall in Georgetown, Guyana

Georgetown City Hall is a nineteenth-century Gothic Revival building located on the corner of Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic in Georgetown, Guyana. The building was designed by architect Reverend Ignatius Scoles in 1887, and was completed in June 1889. The building houses the offices of the Mayor, the City Council, and the City Engineer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Amsterdam Public Hospital</span> Hospital in Guyana

New Amsterdam Public Hospital in New Amsterdam, Guyana, is the country's biggest hospital after Georgetown Public Hospital. It's old building is one of the two surviving buildings designed by Cesar Castellani, an architect employed in the Public Works Department of British Guiana.

Castellani House is a large nineteenth-century building in Georgetown, Guyana. It is on the corner of Vlissengen Road and Homestretch Avenue. It was designed and constructed by the Maltese architect, Cesar Castellani, between 1879 and 1882. Originally serving as a residence for colonial government officials, Castellani House has been the home of Guyana's National Art Gallery since 1993.

George Samuel Jenman (1845-1902) was a British gardener and botanist. He specialized in growing and studying plants. He was superintendent of Castleton Botanical Garden, Jamaica from 1873 to 1879, and Government Botanist and superintendent of the Botanical Gardens in British Guiana from 1879 to 1902. Jenman was also a member of the Linnean Society.

Ignatius Scoles SJ was a Roman Catholic Jesuit priest, architect and writer. He designed churches and civic buildings and was the son of Joseph John Scoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Rodway</span> Guyanese composer

Valerie Muriel Rodway was a Guyanese composer of cultural and patriotic songs, inspired by the events leading up to Guyana's independence in 1966. She is best known for composing music to accompany Guyana national poetry, like Arise, Guyana, Kanaïma, and the Martin Carter's Guyanese Independence poem Let Freedom Awaken. For the next two decades, school children were taught the songs she and others composed to inspire patriotism and cultural affinity. She selected the poetry for her compositions based upon her principles and values, first developed among her parents and siblings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guyana Botanical Gardens</span> Botanical garden in Georgetown, Guyana

Guyana Botanical Gardens is a tropical botanical garden in Georgetown, Guyana. It is next to the Guyana Zoo and Castellani House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red House (Guyana)</span> Building in Georgetown, Guyana

Red House located in Kingston, Georgetown, was the official residence of the Colonial Secretary and later the Premier of British Guiana. As of 22 March 2000, it houses the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston, Guyana</span> Ward in Georgetown, Guyana

Kingston is a former village in Demerara. In 1837, it became a ward of Georgetown. The ward is located along the Atlantic Ocean coast. Kingston is home to many landmarks and historic buildings.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Cesar Castellani: Our most prolific nineteenth century architect By Lennox Hernandez, Senior Lecturer, Department of Architecture, University of Guyana, for the National Trust of Guyana". Guyana Chronicle via Land of Six People. 5 February 2006. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  2. Kandasammy, Lloyd F. (24 April 2008). "Around the Museums of Guyana". Stabroek News. pp. 20–22. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  3. "A new look at old Georgetown". Guyana News and Information. 27 March 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  4. "Historic Stabroek". National Trust of Guyana. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  5. "Architects of historic buildings By Lennox Hernandez, Senior Lecturer, Department of Architecture, University of Guyana, for the National Trust of Guyana". Guyana Chronicle via Land of Six People. 19 February 2006. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  6. "Parliament Building". Alluring World. Retrieved 8 September 2020.