Antonio Annetto Caruana facts for kids
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Antonio Annetto Caruana (born May 14, 1830 – died March 3, 1905) was a famous Maltese archaeologist and author. He is often known as A. A. Caruana. He played a big role in studying Malta's ancient history.
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Who Was A. A. Caruana?
Antonio Annetto Caruana was born in Valletta, Malta. From a young age, he was very good at learning about classical literature. This means he loved studying old Greek and Roman writings. He earned a special degree in Theology from the University of Malta. After that, he had a long career at the University of Malta. He worked there as a secretary and later as the rector, which is like the head of the university.
Caruana's Work in Malta
Later, Caruana became the Librarian and Keeper of Antiquities at the National Library of Malta. This was from 1880 to 1896. He made many important changes there. At the same time, he was also the Director of Education in Malta. This role lasted from 1887 to 1896.
Exploring Ancient Malta
Caruana is best known for his work as an archaeologist. He wrote many books and articles about ancient sites. One of his most famous books is Report on the Phoenician and Roman Antiquities in the group of the islands of Malta. It was first published in 1882.
He helped dig up important ancient places, such as:
- The Ħaġar Qim neolithic temple complex. This is a very old stone temple.
- The Domvs Romana in Rabat, Malta. This was once a Roman house.
Caruana started exploring underground tombs called catacombs in 1860. He worked with Captain Strickland. For the next thirty years, starting in 1871, he explored many tombs and catacombs across the Maltese islands. These places were often hard to reach. In 1894, he also helped clean and map out St. Paul's Catacombs.
Even though some of his ideas have changed over time, Caruana is seen as a very important person. He was a pioneer in managing and protecting cultural heritage in the Maltese Islands.
Caruana's Family Life
Antonio Caruana chose not to become a priest. Instead, he married Maria Metropoli. She was one of three daughters of Giuseppe Metropoli, a notary for the Roman Church in Malta.
Antonio and Maria had one son, John Caruana. John became a famous Maltese philosopher and lawyer in the 1900s. He also married the daughter of a well-known architect named Emanuele Luigi Galizia.
One of Antonio Caruana's family members, Daphne Caruana Galizia, later became a famous investigative journalist. She wrote about his life and work for her archaeology degree at the University of Malta. Antonio Caruana lived at 266, St Paul's Street, in Valletta.
