Giuseppe Piermarini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giuseppe Piermarini
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Giuseppe Piermarini,
portrait by Martin Knoller |
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| Born | 18 July 1734 |
| Died | 18 February 1808 (aged 73) Foligno, Papal States
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| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings | Teatro alla Scala Royal Villa of Monza |
Giuseppe Piermarini (born July 18, 1734 – died February 18, 1808) was a famous Italian architect. He is best known for designing the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. This beautiful opera house was built between 1776 and 1778. Sometimes, people even call the opera house "il Piermarini" because he was so important to its creation. Piermarini also taught at the Brera Academy in Milan, which is an art school. He became a professor there when the academy officially started in 1776.
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Life and Early Work
Piermarini was born in a town called Foligno. At that time, Foligno was part of the Papal States. These were lands ruled by the Pope. From 1765 to 1769, Piermarini worked with another famous architect, Luigi Vanvitelli. They worked together at a place called Caserta.
In 1769, Piermarini moved to Milan. From there, he started many important projects. He helped to redesign the University of Pavia in 1770. For the university, he worked on the Old Campus. He also built greenhouses for its Botanical Garden.
Buildings in Mantua
Piermarini also designed a grand building in Mantua. This building was for the Accademia di Scienze e Belle Lettere. Today, it is known as the Accademia Nazionale Virgiliana. He finished this project in 1773. In Mantua, he also designed the front of the Teatro Bibiena. This theater was right next to the academy building.
Work in Milan Libraries
Piermarini also worked on the inside of the Maria Teresa Hall. This hall is part of the Biblioteca Braidense in Milan. He helped make it a beautiful place for books.
Major Projects in Milan
The Habsburg family decided to have an archduke live in Milan permanently. An archduke was a royal prince. Because of this, Piermarini was asked to rebuild the ducal palace. This palace was next to the cathedral. It needed to be a grand home in the city. He was also asked to build a completely new country home near Monza.
Royal Palace of Milan
For the Royal Palace of Milan, Piermarini created a calm, classical design. This design was built between 1773 and 1780. It did not try to compete with the old, detailed Gothic style of the nearby cathedral. He also created the Piazzetta Reale. This was a new public square. It was part of his bigger plan to improve the city center.
Royal Villa of Monza
Piermarini started building the Royal Villa of Monza in 1776. Over time, this villa was changed. It started as a pleasure villa, a place for fun. But it was later made into a royal court. In 1779, Piermarini was officially named the architect for the Imperial Kingdom. He had already been doing this job for several years.
Teatro alla Scala
The Teatro alla Scala is Piermarini's most famous work. It is an opera house in Milan. Over the years, the inside of the theater has been rebuilt many times. So, today, only Piermarini's overall plan and the outside of the building remain as he designed them.
Other Notable Works
Piermarini designed several other important buildings in Milan. These include the Palazzo Greppi, built from 1772 to 1778. He also designed the Palazzo Moriggia in 1775. Another one of his works is the Palazzo Belgioioso, built between 1772 and 1781.
In a town called Parabiago, Piermarini's friend, Giuseppe Maggiolini, asked him for help. Maggiolini was a very good cabinetmaker. He asked Piermarini to design a new front for the Chiesa Prepositurale dei Santi Gervasio e Protasio church in 1780. Piermarini also designed the Villa Tittoni Traversi.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1798, Piermarini went back to his hometown of Foligno. There, he made some changes to the Duomo, which is the main cathedral. He also planned a project for the Cappella del Sacramento. This was a chapel in the church of San Lorenzo in Spello.
Piermarini had many students. One of them was Giacomo Albertolli. Giacomo was the nephew of Giocondo Albertolli. Giocondo had worked with Piermarini on decorating palaces with stucco. Giacomo later took over Piermarini's job. He became a professor of architecture at the Brera Academy. Piermarini passed away in Foligno in 1808.
