180px, Benedetto Alfieri from the treatise of "Leben des Vittorio Alfieri" Benedetto Innocenzo Alfieri (8 June 1699 - 9 December 1767) was an Italian architect, a representative of the late- Baroque or

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

style.

Biography and works

Born 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 ...

, he was the

godson In infant baptism and denominations of Christianity, a godparent (also known as a sponsor, or '' gossiprede'') is someone who bears witness to a child's christening and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelo ...

Pope Innocent XII Pope Innocent XII ( la, Innocentius XII; it, Innocenzo XII; 13 March 1615 – 27 September 1700), born Antonio Pignatelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1691 to his death in September 1700. He ...

, and a member of the notable Alfieri family of

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

ese origin (the well-known

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

Vittorio Alfieri was his nephew). In Rome, Benedetto was educated in mathematics and design by the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

; he then moved to Piedmont (living in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. Th ...

and

Asti Asti ( , , ; pms, Ast ) is a '' comune'' of 74,348 inhabitants (1-1-2021) located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and it is deeme ...

) to practice both as a lawyer and as an architect. He was frequently patronized by

Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia Charles Emmanuel III (27 April 1701 – 20 February 1773) was Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death. Biography He was born in Turin to Victor Amadeus II of Savoy and his first wife the French Anne Marie d'Orléans. H ...

, who commissioned him with the design of the Royal Theater of Turin; the theatre (which was probably his masterwork) burned down in 1936 and reopened in 1973. He also completed the bell tower of the Church of Santa Anna in Asti; designed the Palazzo Ghilini in Alessandria; helped complete the façade of the Vercelli Cathedral (1757-1763); aided in the decoration of the interior of the Basilica of Corpus Domini in Turin and the decoration of Palazzo Chiablese, adjacent to the Royal Palace in Turin. He also contributed additions and extensive decoration of the

Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi The Palazzina di caccia of Stupinigi ( Italian: "The hunting residence of Stupinigi") is one of the Residences of the Royal House of Savoy in northern Italy, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. Built as a royal hunting lodge in the ear ...

. He designed the bell tower of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in

Novara Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is ...

. He also completed the neoclassical façade of Saint Pierre Cathedral in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...

. The King made him ''Count of Sostegno''. He collaborated during his long career with artists such as Luigi Acquisti, Giovanni Battista Borra, and Emilio Usiglio among many. He died in Turin.

Sources

Gallery

Novara-Campanile Benedetto Alfieri-DSCF0940.JPG, Belltower Novara Novara-Campanile Benedetto Alfieri- e cupola antonelliana-DSCF0942.JPG, Belltower Novara 0654 - Milano - Palazzo Sormani - Retro - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 5-May-2007.jpg, Palazzo Sormani in Milan Varallo Sesia Sacro Monte di Varallo 024.JPG, Main altar by Alfieri in Sacro Monte di Varallo Chiesa di S.Anna.jpg, Santa Anna, Asti Duomo-facciata.jpg, Duomo of Carignano (1756-1766) Pietro Domenico Oliviero - The Royal Theater in Turin.jpg, Interior of Teatro Regio, painted by Pietro Domenico Oliviero Façade de la cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Genève 2009-07-11.jpg, The Neoclassical façade of Saint Pierre Cathedral, Geneva (1752–56) {{DEFAULTSORT:Alfieri, Benedetto 1700 births 1767 deaths Architects from Rome Architects from Turin Italian Baroque architects 18th-century Italian architects