Plautilla Bricci facts for kids

Plautilla Bricci (1616-1705) was a very talented Italian artist. She lived in Rome in the 1600s. Plautilla was an architect, a painter, and a sculptor. She was quite special because she was the only known female architect of her time. Her most famous building is Villa il Vascello, located near the Porta San Pancrazio in Rome. She also designed a chapel and painted its altarpiece in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome.

Early Life and Art Training

Plautilla's father, Giovanni Bricci, was an artist and musician. He had a shop near a church in Rome. He was her first teacher and taught her about art. She also learned from her father's friend, Cavalier d’Arpino.

Another important teacher was Maria Eufrasia della Croce. Plautilla and Maria even worked together on a painting called the Nativity. This painting was for a convent. Plautilla's first known painting was a Virgin and Child. She made it in the early 1630s. It was given to a church in Rome.

It is not fully known how Plautilla became an architect. However, she may have learned from people who supported women artists. Her brother, Basilio, was also a painter and an architect.

Plautilla's Artistic Career

Plautilla created many artworks throughout her life. In 1631, she painted a work called Joseph and Potiphar's Wife. She also painted for important people. For example, in 1644, she made two paintings for Cardinal Francesco Barberini. He was the Pope's nephew.

Plautilla attended the Accademia di San Luca, which was an important art academy. She was a member there between 1655 and 1671. In 1660, she painted an altarpiece called The Birth of the Virgin for a church in Rome. She even designed temporary structures for Cardinal Mazarin's funeral in 1661.

Designing Villa il Vascello

Between 1663 and 1668, Plautilla designed and built a large house called Villa Benedetti. It was for a man named Elpidio Benedetti. This villa became known as Villa il Vascello. Most of it is destroyed today.

Elpidio might have hired Plautilla because he wanted a unique house. He wanted something different from other buildings in Rome. Plautilla's brother, Basilio, helped her with the project. The villa had an unusual design. It featured curved walls and fancy decorations. Plautilla also painted inside the villa. She painted an altarpiece for the chapel there. The villa was nicknamed Villa il Vascello because it looked a bit like a ship.

Chapel of San Luigi

Between 1670 and 1680, Plautilla designed another important project. She oversaw the building of the Chapel of San Luigi. This chapel is inside the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome. She also painted the altarpiece for this chapel. She even carved reliefs and sculptures for it.

In 1675, Plautilla painted a special curved painting called a lunette. It was for the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. She also painted two frescoes for the Lateran, but these are now lost. In the same year, she made a processional banner for a village. It featured Saint John the Baptist.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1677, Plautilla moved into a house given to her by Elpidio Benedetti. She lived there with her brother. After her brother died in 1692, she moved to a monastery. She passed away in 1705. Plautilla was buried next to her brother in a church in Rome. She never married.

Plautilla Bricci was remembered by other artists and writers. Filippo Baldinucci praised her skills in his book about artists. Elpidio Benedetti also wrote a book about his villa. In this book, he said Plautilla's brother designed it. However, building contracts and drawings show that Plautilla was the main architect.

Images for kids

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  Chapel of San Luigi, Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome

See also

In Spanish: Plautilla Bricci para niños