Tumas Dingli

• Name — Tommaso Dingli • Native Name — Tumas Dingli • Born — 22 December 1591 • Birthplace — Attard, Malta • Died — 28 January 1666 (aged 74) • Resting Place — Parish Church of St. Mary, Attard • Occupation — Architect • Notable Works — Several parish churches, including those of Attard and Birkirkara • Style — Renaissance • Spouse — Argenta Dingli • Children — 6 • Mother — Katerina Dingli née Tabone • Father — Giacobo Dingli • Relatives — Filippo Dingli (brother)

Tommaso Dingli was born on 22 December 1591 in Attard, the son of the sculptor Giacobo Dingli and his wife Katerina Dingli née Tabone. He was the fourth of ten children, and one of his brothers was the artist Filippo Dingli. Dingli began his career as a scarpellino (stone carver) with his father Giacobo and his uncle, the engineer Andrea Dingli. • Illustration — Parish Church of St. Mary in Attard In his early career as an architect, Dingli assisted the capomastro (master builder) Giovanni Attard during the construction of the Wignacourt Aqueduct between 1610 and 1614. In later years, Dingli obtained a number of commissions and he designed a number of parish churches. In 1633, Dingli is attributed to have designed the second Porta Reale, the main city gate of the capital Valletta. In 1639, Giovanni de’ Medici was impressed with Dingli's abilities and offered to take him to Italy, but he declined since his service was in demand within Malta. Dingli died on 28 January 1666 at the age of 74, and he was buried at the Attard parish church, which he had designed himself. Most of Dingli's churches were built in the Renaissance style, and they might have had influences from the Spanish Plateresque. He was one of the last Renaissance architects in Malta, and the Baroque style became popular in the years after his death.

Dingli married Argenta Dingli from Siġġiewi when he was 60 years old. They had six children, one of whom became a priest.