CASTELL, Edmund (c. 1606-1685), a learned English Orientalist, was born about 1606, at Hatley, in Cambridgeshire. At the age of fifteen he entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, but he afterwards changed his residence to St John’s, where he enjoyed the use of a valuable library. His great work was the compiling of his Lexicon Ueptaglotton Hebraicum, Chaldaicum, Syriacum, Samaritanum, Aethiopicum, Arabicum,et Persicum (London, 1669). Over this book he spent eighteen years, working (if we may accept his own statement) from sixteen to eighteen hours a day; he employed fourteen assistants, and by an expenditure of £12,000 brought himself to poverty, for his lexicon, though full of the most unusual learning, did not find purchasers. His loss was partly compensated by a number of preferments, including a prebend at Canterbury, and the professorship of Arabic at Cambridge. Castell also lent the aid of his erudition to the preparation of Dr Walton’s well-known Polyglott Bible. His MSS. he bequeathed to the University of Cambridge.

CASTELLI, Ignaz Friedrich (1781-1862), an Austrian dramatist, was born on 6th March 1781, at Vienna. He completed his education at the university in his native town, and entered the profession of law. The leisure left him by his employment in a subordinate Government office he devoted to literary work, in particular to the composition and adaptation of dramatic pieces. Some of his war-songs became exceedingly popular, and so excited the ill-feeling of the French that Castelli had to flee from Vienna and take refuge in Hungary. In 1811 he was made director of the court theatre by Prince Lobkowitz, but he resigned this post in 1814 in order to accompany Count Cavriani to France as secretary. He returned to Vienna with Count Münch-Bellinghausen, and for many years occupied himself entirely with literary work. He died in 1862 at Lilienfeld. From 1840 he had enjoyed a pension from Government. His autobiography appeared in three volumes, 1861-2. His numerous dramas and minor pieces are distinguished only by their light gaiety and humour.

CASTELLO, Bernardo (1557-1629), a Genoese portrait and historical painter, born at Albaro near Genoa, was the intimate friend of Tasso, and took upon himself the task of designing the figures of the Gerusalemme Liberata, published in 1590; some of these subjects were engraved by Agostino Caracci. Besides painting a number of works in Genoa, mostly in a rapid and superficial style, Castello was employed in Rome, and in the court of the duke of Savoy.

CASTELLO, Giovanni Battista (1500-1569), an eminent Italian historical painter, was born in Bergamo, and is hence ordinarily termed II Bergamasco. He belongs, however, to the school of Genoa, but does not appear to have had any family relationship with the other two painters named Castello, also noticed here. He was employed to decorate the Nunziata di Portoria in Genoa, the saloon of the Lanzi Palace at Gorlago, and the Pardo Palace in Spain. His best-known works are the Martyrdom of St Sebastian, and the picture of our Saviour as Judge of the World on one of the vaultings of the Nunziata. He was an architect and sculptor as well as painter. In 1567 he was invited to Madrid by Philip IL, and there he died, holding the office of architect of the Royal Palaces.

CASTELLO, Valerio (1625-1659), was the youngest son of Bernardo Castello, noticed above. He surpassed his father, and particularly excelled in painting battle-scenes. He painted the Rape of the Sabines, now in the Palazzo Brignole, Genoa, and decorated the cupola of the Church of the Annunciation in the same city. In these works he is regarded by his admirers as combining the fire of Tintoretto with the general style of Paolo Veronese; his premature death cut short a career of high hopes.

CASTELLON DE LA PLANA, a town of Valencia, in Spain, the capital of a modern province, is situated about 4 miles from the sea, and 40 miles N.N.E. of Valencia, in 39° 57' N. lat. and 0° 4' W. long. It derives its name from the extensive plain in which it is situated, and which is watered artificially by an aqueduct brought for the most part through solid rock from the Mijares, a stream about five miles distant. It is walled, and contains two nunneries, three monasteries, and two hospitals, as well as several churches, in which there are paintings by Ribalta, a native artist. There is a brisk local trade maintained in the weaving of sail-cloth and linen. In the time of the Moors the city was situated on a height to the north of the present position, to which it was removed by Jayme I. in 1233. Population, 20,123.