Cosimo Morelli (1732 – February 26, 1812) was an Italian architect, active throughout the

Papal States The Papal States ( ; it, Stato Pontificio, ), officially the State of the Church ( it, Stato della Chiesa, ; la, Status Ecclesiasticus;), were a series of territories in the Italian Peninsula under the direct Sovereignty, sovereign rule of ...

in a Neoclassic style.

Biography

He was born at

Imola Imola (; rgn, Jômla or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical r ...

. His father, also an architect, studied under

Giovanni Domenico Trifogli Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...

, who was considered to be one of the

Comacini The Comacine masters (''magistri comacini'') were early medieval Lombard stonemasons working in a region of excellent building stone who gave to Lombardy its preeminence in the stone architecture that preceded Romanesque style. Comacini Their ...

, whose works were much appreciated in northern Italy. Cosimo is said to have studied geometry under Vincenzo Savini. Boni says of that Morelli was of a ''vast genius, and enterprising, he advanced rapidly in his new career; firm of character, pleasant tract, witty expression, he obtained the affection and esteem of many illustrious person''. Morelli was the most prolific architect during the Pontifical States of the mid-18th century. He was knighted by Pius IX.F. Boni. thanks mostly to his relationship with the ''Roman''

curia Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...

and his ability to interpret and develop the tastes of his epoch. Under the tutelage of

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a ...

, Morelli build, renovated, and amplified numerous civic and religious buildings. His fame, beyond his talent, was partly due to employing a “team” of artisans and painters in his commissions, such as Alessandro Dalla Nave,

Antonio Villa Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular ...

and Angelo Gottarelli, among others. He died at Imola in 1812.

Works

*''Chiesa di San Prospero'' in

, finished on September 4, 1836, for

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, who would later become Pope Pius IX, in 1846. *''

Palazzo Braschi Palazzo Braschi () is a large Neoclassical palace in Rome, Italy and is located between the Piazza Navona, the Campo de' Fiori, the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Piazza di Pasquino. It presently houses the Museo di Roma, the "Museum of ...

'' in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, on Piazza Navona and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, built for duke Luigi Braschi Onesti, nephew of

Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

, which used to be a former palazzo for the

Orsini family The House of Orsini is an Italian noble family that was one of the most influential princely families in medieval Italy and Renaissance Rome. Members of the Orsini family include five popes: Stephen II (752-757), Paul I (757-767), Celestine I ...

. Today it houses the Museum of Rome. *'' Teatro dell'Aquila'' in

Fermo Fermo (ancient: Firmum Picenum) is a town and ''comune'' of the Marche, Italy, in the Province of Fermo. Fermo is on a hill, the Sabulo, elevation , on a branch from Porto San Giorgio on the Adriatic coast railway. History The oldest hum ...

, in 1780, is renowned for its acoustics. *''Teatro Lauro Rossi'' in

Macerata Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza r ...

, inaugurated in 1774 and still in use today. Other works include at the Duomo of Imola,

Fermo Cathedral Fermo Cathedral ( it, Cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria Assunta in Cielo; Duomo di Fermo) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Fermo, region of Marche, Italy, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is the archiepiscopal seat of t ...

, Fossombrone Cathedral, and Macerata Cathedral, the church of Santo Stefano in Imola, of San Francesco in

Lugo Lugo (, ; la, Lucus Augusti) is a city in northwestern Spain in the autonomous community of Galicia. It is the capital of the province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 98,025 in 2018, making it the fourth most populous city in Gal ...

; helped rebuild the Main parish of Ravenna, and the facade of San Pietro in Bologna; also the theaters of

Iesi Jesi, also spelled Iesi (), is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Ancona in Marche, Italy. It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left (north) bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriati ...

Osimo Osimo is a town and ''comune'' of the Marche Regions of Italy, region of Italy, in the province of Ancona. The municipality covers a hilly area located approximately south of the port city of Ancona and the Adriatic Sea. , Osimo had a total pop ...

Forlì Forlì ( , ; rgn, Furlè ; la, Forum Livii) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. It is the central city of Romagna. The city is situated along the Via Em ...

, Ferrara, Tor di Nona in Rome, and others. He helped design the palace of Anguissola in Piacenza, Silvestri in Macerata, and the facade of Palazzo Berio on via Toledo in Naples. He designed the civic hospital of Imola, the seminary of Subiaco, and the triumphal arch erected by San Arcangelo in honor of their fellow native, Clement XIV.

Sources

1732 births 1812 deaths People from Imola 18th-century Italian architects 19th-century Italian architects Italian neoclassical architects Architects from Emilia-Romagna {{Italy-architect-stub