Filippo Raguzzini
Encyclopedia
Filippo Raguzzini was an Italian architect
best known for a range of buildings constructed during the reign of Benedict XIII
.
into a family of stonemasons. Little is known of his early history, but he was called to Benevento
in the wake of the earthquake of 1702, which caused widespread destruction in the city. In Benevento, he came to the attention of Pietro Francesco Orsini who was archbishop of Benevento for 38 years from 1686, before his election to the papacy as Benedict XIII in 1724. This encounter with Orsini would be of crucial significance for Raguzzini’s later career. There is considerable scholarly debate about which works in Benevento should be attributed to Raguzzini’s early period, but the chapel of S. Gennaro in the church of the Annunziata (1710) is though to be his work. Two later churches, S. Filippo (1724 – 27) and S. Bartolomeo (consecrated in 1729) in Benevento, are also Raguzzini's work and date from the period after the election of Benedict XIII.
Raguzzini arrived in Rome some time soon after the election of Benedict XIII and commenced a meteoric rise through the ranks of the Roman architectural establishment. Official honours were lavished on him from as early as 1725, when he was made a Knight of the Golden Spur; in February 1727, he was elected an accademico di merito of the Accademia di San Luca
. Benedict XIII’s patronage saw Raguzzini ultimately serve in almost every major public architectural office in the city. The most significant posts he held were those in which he supplanted the much older and highly respected Roman architect, Alessandro Specchi
, whose most important work, the Porto di Ripetta, had been executed in the reign of Clement XI
: these roles were those of the architect of the popolo romano (essentially the city architect), the architect of the Tribunale delle acque e strade and the architect of the Sacri Palazzi Apostolici. Raguzzini held these offices from 1728, although they were nominally to be held by the incumbent for life. Specchi died in November 1729.
Benedict XIII’s reign was marked by ongoing problems of financial management. Benedict himself practically vacated the temporal government of Rome and the Papal States, turning this over to Nicolò Cardinal Coscia whose mismanagement of finances (which ultimately led to his temporary excommunication and imprisonment in the reign of Clement XII) almost bankrupted the Papal States
. As a result, major architectural projects in Benedict’s reign were few. The most significant projects executed in Rome by Raguzzini during Benedict’s reign were the construction of the Ospedale di S. Gallicano in Trastevere
(1724 – 26), the erection of the church of S. Maria della Quercia near the Palazzo Spada
(1727 – 31) and the systematisation of Piazza S. Ignazio (1727 – 35). The construction of S. Maria della Quercia, the church of the butchers’ guild (Università dei macellai) of Rome, appears to have been sponsored by Benedict XIII. The church is named for a miraculous image housed at Viterbo
in the care of the Dominicans
and, as Dominican himself, Benedict seems to have taken a keen interest in the church. Although renovated, this church is a masterpiece of the style of the 1720s – 1730s in Rome and is one of the few early 18th century churches in Rome to have been built from the ground up essentially to the design of a single person. Piazza S. Ignazio, an ensemble of five residential buildings for the growing administration class of the city, is characterised by its complex interplay of ovoid shapes and the ingenious theatre-wing like construction. People walking from the nearby Piazza di Pietra find themselves suddenly emerging in Piazza S. Ignazio into a confrontation with the church, as if they had stumbled in from offstage. Although the decorative effect of the buildings is an important component of their overall effect, the ensemble signifies a significant departure from the typical operative logic of the anteposed piazza
. Raguzzini subtly undermines the supremacy of the church in the church/piazza relationship typical of Counter-Reformation
urban planning, and invests the space of the piazza itself with considerable energy and intrigue: in this way, the church has become a pendant to the piazza, rather than the reason for the piazza’s existence.
Raguzzini’s other projects during Benedict’s reign were nearly all small commissions and included the renovation of the chapels of the Presepio in the baptistery, S. Domenico and il Crocifisso in the Dominican church of S. Maria sopra Minevra (1724–1726); the restoration of the church and convent of S. Sisto Vecchio near the Baths of Caracalla (completed 1727); minor works in the Sistine Chapel of S. Maria Maggiore (1725), in S. Giovanni in Laterano
(1726) and in S. Pietro in Vaticano
(1726); the restoration of the high altar in S. Simeone Profeta (1724); the enlargement of the convent annexed to S. Maria in Campitelli (1724) and many others. Outside Rome, Raguzzini was responsible for the building of the Casino Lercari in Albano
.
Raguzzini’s fortunes took a turn for the worse in February 1730 when, upon the death of Benedict XIII, a general purge of the small army of Beneventans brought to Rome by Benedict XIII occurred. According to the testimony of Pier Leone Ghezzi, Raguzzini was arrested in the piazza di Trevi
on 4 September 1731 and held under house arrest as part of this purge. Although subsequently stripped of many of his official positions, Raguzzini regained many of them through legal action. He was named a virtuoso of the Congregazione al Pantheon in September 1749, which appears to indicate a measure of official rehabilitation. His output from the mid-1730s onward is very small, although his name is frequently encountered in official processes of the Tribunale delle strade. He died in Rome
.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
best known for a range of buildings constructed during the reign of Benedict XIII
Pope Benedict XIII
-Footnotes:...
.
Biography
Raguzzini was born in NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
into a family of stonemasons. Little is known of his early history, but he was called to Benevento
Benevento
Benevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...
in the wake of the earthquake of 1702, which caused widespread destruction in the city. In Benevento, he came to the attention of Pietro Francesco Orsini who was archbishop of Benevento for 38 years from 1686, before his election to the papacy as Benedict XIII in 1724. This encounter with Orsini would be of crucial significance for Raguzzini’s later career. There is considerable scholarly debate about which works in Benevento should be attributed to Raguzzini’s early period, but the chapel of S. Gennaro in the church of the Annunziata (1710) is though to be his work. Two later churches, S. Filippo (1724 – 27) and S. Bartolomeo (consecrated in 1729) in Benevento, are also Raguzzini's work and date from the period after the election of Benedict XIII.
Raguzzini arrived in Rome some time soon after the election of Benedict XIII and commenced a meteoric rise through the ranks of the Roman architectural establishment. Official honours were lavished on him from as early as 1725, when he was made a Knight of the Golden Spur; in February 1727, he was elected an accademico di merito of the Accademia di San Luca
Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca, was founded in 1577 as an association of artists in Rome, under the directorship of Federico Zuccari, with the purpose of elevating the work of "artists", which included painters, sculptors and architects, above that of mere craftsmen. Other founders included Girolamo...
. Benedict XIII’s patronage saw Raguzzini ultimately serve in almost every major public architectural office in the city. The most significant posts he held were those in which he supplanted the much older and highly respected Roman architect, Alessandro Specchi
Alessandro Specchi
Alessandro Specchi was an Italian architect and engraver.Born in Rome, he trained as an architect under Carlo Fontana. He also specialized as an engraver and made a well known series of plates for prints of vedute or views of Rome As an architect, he was influenced by Francesco Borromini...
, whose most important work, the Porto di Ripetta, had been executed in the reign of Clement XI
Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI , born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was Pope from 1700 until his death in 1721.-Early life:...
: these roles were those of the architect of the popolo romano (essentially the city architect), the architect of the Tribunale delle acque e strade and the architect of the Sacri Palazzi Apostolici. Raguzzini held these offices from 1728, although they were nominally to be held by the incumbent for life. Specchi died in November 1729.
Benedict XIII’s reign was marked by ongoing problems of financial management. Benedict himself practically vacated the temporal government of Rome and the Papal States, turning this over to Nicolò Cardinal Coscia whose mismanagement of finances (which ultimately led to his temporary excommunication and imprisonment in the reign of Clement XII) almost bankrupted the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
. As a result, major architectural projects in Benedict’s reign were few. The most significant projects executed in Rome by Raguzzini during Benedict’s reign were the construction of the Ospedale di S. Gallicano in Trastevere
Trastevere
Trastevere is rione XIII of Rome, on the west bank of the Tiber, south of Vatican City. Its name comes from the Latin trans Tiberim, meaning literally "beyond the Tiber". The correct pronunciation is "tras-TEH-ve-ray", with the accent on the second syllable. Its logo is a golden head of a lion on a...
(1724 – 26), the erection of the church of S. Maria della Quercia near the Palazzo Spada
Palazzo Spada
The Palazzo Spada is a palace in the historic centre of Rome, Italy. It is located in the rione Regola, at Piazza Capo di Ferro, 13, very close to the Palazzo Farnese. It has a garden facing towards the River Tiber....
(1727 – 31) and the systematisation of Piazza S. Ignazio (1727 – 35). The construction of S. Maria della Quercia, the church of the butchers’ guild (Università dei macellai) of Rome, appears to have been sponsored by Benedict XIII. The church is named for a miraculous image housed at Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
in the care of the Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
and, as Dominican himself, Benedict seems to have taken a keen interest in the church. Although renovated, this church is a masterpiece of the style of the 1720s – 1730s in Rome and is one of the few early 18th century churches in Rome to have been built from the ground up essentially to the design of a single person. Piazza S. Ignazio, an ensemble of five residential buildings for the growing administration class of the city, is characterised by its complex interplay of ovoid shapes and the ingenious theatre-wing like construction. People walking from the nearby Piazza di Pietra find themselves suddenly emerging in Piazza S. Ignazio into a confrontation with the church, as if they had stumbled in from offstage. Although the decorative effect of the buildings is an important component of their overall effect, the ensemble signifies a significant departure from the typical operative logic of the anteposed piazza
Piazza
A piazza is a city square in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. The term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza...
. Raguzzini subtly undermines the supremacy of the church in the church/piazza relationship typical of Counter-Reformation
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
urban planning, and invests the space of the piazza itself with considerable energy and intrigue: in this way, the church has become a pendant to the piazza, rather than the reason for the piazza’s existence.
Raguzzini’s other projects during Benedict’s reign were nearly all small commissions and included the renovation of the chapels of the Presepio in the baptistery, S. Domenico and il Crocifisso in the Dominican church of S. Maria sopra Minevra (1724–1726); the restoration of the church and convent of S. Sisto Vecchio near the Baths of Caracalla (completed 1727); minor works in the Sistine Chapel of S. Maria Maggiore (1725), in S. Giovanni in Laterano
Basilica of St. John Lateran
The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran , commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica and St. John Lateran's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope...
(1726) and in S. Pietro in Vaticano
St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
(1726); the restoration of the high altar in S. Simeone Profeta (1724); the enlargement of the convent annexed to S. Maria in Campitelli (1724) and many others. Outside Rome, Raguzzini was responsible for the building of the Casino Lercari in Albano
Albano Laziale
Albano Laziale is a comune in the province of Rome, on the Alban Hills, in Latium, central Italy. It is also a suburb of Rome, which is 25 km distant. It is bounded by other communes of Castel Gandolfo, Rocca di Papa, Ariccia and Ardea. Located in the Castelli Romani area of Lazio...
.
Raguzzini’s fortunes took a turn for the worse in February 1730 when, upon the death of Benedict XIII, a general purge of the small army of Beneventans brought to Rome by Benedict XIII occurred. According to the testimony of Pier Leone Ghezzi, Raguzzini was arrested in the piazza di Trevi
Trevi (rione of Rome)
Trevi is the rione II of Rome. The origin of its name is not clear,but the most accepted possibility is that it comes from the Latin trivium, because there were three streets all leading to "piazza dei Crociferi",...
on 4 September 1731 and held under house arrest as part of this purge. Although subsequently stripped of many of his official positions, Raguzzini regained many of them through legal action. He was named a virtuoso of the Congregazione al Pantheon in September 1749, which appears to indicate a measure of official rehabilitation. His output from the mid-1730s onward is very small, although his name is frequently encountered in official processes of the Tribunale delle strade. He died in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.