Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia
Encyclopedia
Giuseppe Venanzio Marvuglia (1729–1814) was an Italian
architect.
He received his first training in his native Palermo
. This was followed by a period in Rome
from 1747 to 1759. By the end of his stay a handful of progressive young architects and designers in the circuit of the French Academy in Rome were moving away from the ornate Baroque
towards a simpler, more classical form of architecture under the influence of the architect Johann Joachim Winckelmann
who was a protégé of Cardinal Alessandro Albani.
Marvuglia won the second prize in a contest organised by the Accademia San Luca, for a town square. His entry had at its centre a circular domed building reminiscent of the Pantheon
in Rome, but with Baroque features in its columns and statuary.
Following his return to Sicily, he worked on the rebuilding of the monastery of San Martino delle Scale, in the mountains near Palermo; while he designed this in Baroque style, evidence that the tide of fashion was flowing towards Neoclassicism
is evident through the straight clean lines as opposed to the curved facades and broken rooflines of typical Sicilian Baroque
.
Though much of Marvuglia's work was in municipal architecture two churches are credited to him. One, at the very start of his independent career, is 'S. Filippo Neri' (1769): rather than in high Baroque it is built with a facade
divided into three square divisions decorated with panels of bas-relief. The pilaster
s are flat and plain. The pediments are unbroken. The interior of the church has a gilded barrel vault
ed ceiling, supported by great marble
columns. What is unusual and a break in the Sicilian Baroque tradition here is that the columns do not support an arcade
, but a flat entablature
. This church, much preferred by English visitors in the 18th century to the ornate Sicilian Baroque, shows clearly the beginning of tastes moving from the Baroque towards a less decorated order.
Later, in the church of San Francesco di Sales, in Corso Calatafimi, Palermo (1772 – 1776, consecrated May 8, 1818) Marvuglia interpreted a classicizing Palladian program of paired pilasters in the piers of an abbreviated arcade giving onto two pairs of side chapels, supporting a cornice carried without an interruption entirely round the space, integrating the sober pedimented tablernacle of the high altar, all in a restrained tonality of white and cream that to an early viewer was "semplice e senza ornamenti" ("simple and without ornaments") as indeed it was in the context of Late Baroque Palermo.
As an architect Marvuglia showed great understanding of proportion and mass. His Palazzo Constantino, a project he took over in 1787 shows a fusion of both the Neoclassical and Palladian. His Palazzo Belmonte Riso
completed in 1784 clearly shows better than any other in Sicily the final days of Sicilian Baroque as it was transformed into Neoclassicism; the unbroken skyline and the plain almost severe pillars and unbroken window pediments, far outweigh the Baroque sentiments in internal arcaded courtyard.
Marvuglia designed two villa
s at the newly fashionable aristocratic enclave of Bagheria
. The Villa Villarosa, while neoclassical in spirit is clearly influenced by the hôtels by Gabriel on the Place Louis XV
in Paris
. For Ferdinand I of Naples
, forced into temporary residence in Sicily by the republican revoilution and the Napoleonic occupation, he designed a whimsical Casina Cinese in the royal park of La Favorita outside Palermo and at Ficuzza a long unbroken block of a severely classical villa with very little relief and an unbroken cornice.
As a teacher of architecture Marvuglia strongly supported the study of Sicily's Greek temples, however, in spite of his later reputation as a Neoclassical architect he never applied to his own work the strict rules and proportions he found in his studies of ancient Greek architecture.
He died in Palermo in 1814.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
architect.
He received his first training in his native Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
. This was followed by a period 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...
from 1747 to 1759. By the end of his stay a handful of progressive young architects and designers in the circuit of the French Academy in Rome were moving away from the ornate Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
towards a simpler, more classical form of architecture under the influence of the architect Johann Joachim Winckelmann
Johann Joachim Winckelmann
Johann Joachim Winckelmann was a German art historian and archaeologist. He was a pioneering Hellenist who first articulated the difference between Greek, Greco-Roman and Roman art...
who was a protégé of Cardinal Alessandro Albani.
Marvuglia won the second prize in a contest organised by the Accademia San Luca, for a town square. His entry had at its centre a circular domed building reminiscent of the Pantheon
Pantheon, Rome
The Pantheon ,Rarely Pantheum. This appears in Pliny's Natural History in describing this edifice: Agrippae Pantheum decoravit Diogenes Atheniensis; in columnis templi eius Caryatides probantur inter pauca operum, sicut in fastigio posita signa, sed propter altitudinem loci minus celebrata.from ,...
in Rome, but with Baroque features in its columns and statuary.
Following his return to Sicily, he worked on the rebuilding of the monastery of San Martino delle Scale, in the mountains near Palermo; while he designed this in Baroque style, evidence that the tide of fashion was flowing towards Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
is evident through the straight clean lines as opposed to the curved facades and broken rooflines of typical Sicilian Baroque
Sicilian Baroque
Sicilian Baroque is the distinctive form of Baroque architecture that took hold on the island of Sicily, off the southern coast of Italy, in the 17th and 18th centuries...
.
Though much of Marvuglia's work was in municipal architecture two churches are credited to him. One, at the very start of his independent career, is 'S. Filippo Neri' (1769): rather than in high Baroque it is built with a facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
divided into three square divisions decorated with panels of bas-relief. The pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s are flat and plain. The pediments are unbroken. The interior of the church has a gilded barrel vault
Barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
ed ceiling, supported by great marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
columns. What is unusual and a break in the Sicilian Baroque tradition here is that the columns do not support an arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
, but a flat entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
. This church, much preferred by English visitors in the 18th century to the ornate Sicilian Baroque, shows clearly the beginning of tastes moving from the Baroque towards a less decorated order.
Later, in the church of San Francesco di Sales, in Corso Calatafimi, Palermo (1772 – 1776, consecrated May 8, 1818) Marvuglia interpreted a classicizing Palladian program of paired pilasters in the piers of an abbreviated arcade giving onto two pairs of side chapels, supporting a cornice carried without an interruption entirely round the space, integrating the sober pedimented tablernacle of the high altar, all in a restrained tonality of white and cream that to an early viewer was "semplice e senza ornamenti" ("simple and without ornaments") as indeed it was in the context of Late Baroque Palermo.
As an architect Marvuglia showed great understanding of proportion and mass. His Palazzo Constantino, a project he took over in 1787 shows a fusion of both the Neoclassical and Palladian. His Palazzo Belmonte Riso
Palazzo Riso
The Palazzo Riso, or RISO, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia , is a regional contemporary art museum located in the ancient Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Palermo, Italy.- History and architecture :The Palazzo Riso architecture clearly shows the final days of Sicilian Baroque as it was...
completed in 1784 clearly shows better than any other in Sicily the final days of Sicilian Baroque as it was transformed into Neoclassicism; the unbroken skyline and the plain almost severe pillars and unbroken window pediments, far outweigh the Baroque sentiments in internal arcaded courtyard.
Marvuglia designed two villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s at the newly fashionable aristocratic enclave of Bagheria
Bagheria
Bagheria is a town and comune in the Province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy.-Etymology:According to some sources, the name Bagheria originates from the Phoenician term Bayharia meaning "land that descends toward the sea." Other sources claim that it derives from the Arabic Bāb al-Gerib, or "windy...
. The Villa Villarosa, while neoclassical in spirit is clearly influenced by the hôtels by Gabriel on the Place Louis XV
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.- History :...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. For Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I , also called Don Ferrante, was the King of Naples from 1458 to 1494. He was the natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon by Giraldona Carlino.-Biography:...
, forced into temporary residence in Sicily by the republican revoilution and the Napoleonic occupation, he designed a whimsical Casina Cinese in the royal park of La Favorita outside Palermo and at Ficuzza a long unbroken block of a severely classical villa with very little relief and an unbroken cornice.
As a teacher of architecture Marvuglia strongly supported the study of Sicily's Greek temples, however, in spite of his later reputation as a Neoclassical architect he never applied to his own work the strict rules and proportions he found in his studies of ancient Greek architecture.
He died in Palermo in 1814.
External links
- Carlo Trabia, "Ficuzza Hunting lodge"
- Cappella del Marvuglia" (the Church of San Francesco di Sales): brief biography (in Italian)