CA'CCIA, GUGLIELMO, commonly called MONCALVO, from Moncalvo, near Casale, the place of his abode, was born at Montabone in 1568. He was one of the best fresco painters of the 17th century, and is among the most celebrated of the Piedmontese painters. There are still several of his works in Milan, Pavia, Turin, Novara, Moncalvo, Casale, and other cities of that part of Italy. The church do' Con vcntuali alone, at Moncalvo, contains almost a gallery of Caccia's works in oil ; they are very light in colour, but faint in effect, and in design frequently remind us strongly of the works of Andrea del Sarto, especially in his 'Holy Families' and such pieces. Ho is reported to have studied with the Carracci, a fact which Lanzi considers very improbable; and he says that if Caccia studied in Bologna at all, it must have been from the works of L. Sabbatini, prior to the Carracci; but he accounts for. his similarity of style with that master from a picture by Soleri in Casale, from which he may have acquired it, as their etyles are very similar. Bernardino Campi also painted in a very
similar style. Caccia's best works in fresco are iu the church of Sant' Antonio Abate at Milan, aud in San Paolo at Novara- His master-piece in oil is considered to be the ' Deposition from the Cross,' in the church of San Gaudenzio at Novara : there are also two excellent altar-pieces by him in the churches of Santa Croce and Santa Teresa at Turin, and two others in a chapel of San Domenico at Chieri. Some of his landscape backgrounds are in the style of Paul Bril. Caccia died about 1625.
Caccia instructed two of his daughters in painting—Orsola Maddalena aud Francesca—by whom there are many works in Moncalvo and the vicinity : the pictures of tho elder, Oreola, are marked with a flower; those of Francesca with a bird. Orsola founded the Coneervatorio della Orseline (Ursulinee) in Moucalvo ; the died in 1678. Francesca also survived her father many yeare : she died aged 57.
(Orlandi, Abeeedario Pittorico ; Lanzi, Storia Pittorica, .Sc.)