Nobleman, Amateur Painter and Artist

The third son of Baron Pietro Paolo, Testaferrata Abela, lieutenant governor of Gozo, and Countess Teresa Buzi-Ranieri of Velletri, Augusto as from an early age, was interested in art. music, literature and the theatre.

He studied art in Milan with Napoleone Genovese. He exhibited his works at the Malta Drawing Club. He studied music in Naples under Raffaele Calì and in Malta with Mro. Giuseppe Spiteri de Fremond*, and Mro. Giuseppe Malfeggiani. His theatre involvement was with Zauli Sayani, and played at the Manoel Theatre, and in Tuscany. In Malta he was director of the amateur theatrical company Società Filodrammatica del Casino San Giovanni.

Augusto Testaferrata Abela edited a few issues of Scaramuccia, (1859-1860), an Italian, apolitical paper dealing mainly with local theatre and literature.

In May 1884 he produced an oil painting depicting two fishermen, standing on a rocky foreshore, looking at a rough sea with boats sailing at a distance.

In 1850 he married Angelica Tagliaferro, and in 1861 he succeeded his brother Francesco, through an act of nominaion, as 7th Baron of Gomerino thus bypassing his elder brother Ettore Testaferrata-Abela* to the title.

In April 1882, Baron Testaferrata Abela was made Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.