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

Papal States The Papal States ( ; ; ), officially the State of the Church, were a conglomeration of territories on the Italian peninsula under the direct sovereign rule of the pope from 756 to 1870. They were among the major states of Italy from the 8th c ...

in a Neoclassic style.

Biography

He was born at

Imola Imola (; 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 region Romagna ...

. His father, also an architect, studied under Giovanni Domenico Trifogli. 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 (: 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 probably had wider powers, they came to meet ...

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

Pope Pius VII Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...

, Morelli build, renovated, and amplified numerous civic and religious buildings. He designed the

Arco Ganganelli The Arch of Ganganelli () or Arco di Papa Clemente XIV is a triumphal arch that stands in the town of Santarcangelo di Romagna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. It was constructed in 1772–1777 to celebrate the elevation in 1769 of the native Cardinal Lor ...

in Santarcangelo Romagna. His fame, beyond his talent, was partly due to employing a “team” of artisans and

painters Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

in his commissions, such as Alessandro Dalla Nave, Antonio Villa 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 member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, who would later become

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

, 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 R ...

'' in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, on

Piazza Navona Piazza Navona () is a public open space in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the 1st century AD Stadium of Domitian and follows the form of the open space of the stadium in an elongated oval. The ancient Romans went there to watch the '' a ...

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

Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

, which used to be a former palazzo for the

Orsini family The House of Orsini is an Nobility of Italy, Italian noble family that was one of the most influential princely families in Middle Ages, medieval Italy and Renaissance Rome. Members of the Orsini family include five popes: Pope Stephen II, Step ...

. Today it houses the

Museum of Rome The Museo di Roma is a museum in Rome, Italy, part of the network of Roman civic museums. The museum was founded in the Fascist era with the aim of documenting the local history and traditions of the "old Rome" that was rapidly disappearing, but ...

. *''

Teatro dell'Aquila Teatro may refer to: * Theatre * Teatro (band) Teatro, Italian for "theatre", is a vocal group signed to the Sony BMG music label. The members of Teatro are Jeremiah James, Andrew Alexander, Simon Bailey and Stephen Rahman-Hughes. Band membe ...

'' 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 huma ...

, in 1780, is renowned for its

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...

. *''

Teatro Lauro Rossi Teatro Lauro Rossi is a theatre and opera house in Macerata inaugurated in 1774 with a setting of the libretto ''L'Olimpiade'' by Pasquale Anfossi. It was renamed in honour of local composer Lauro Rossi in 1884, the year before the composer's death ...

'' 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 (ri ...

, inaugurated in 1774 and still in use today. *''

Palazzo Anguissola da Grazzano, Piacenza The Palazzo Anguissola di Grazzano is a late-Baroque architecture, Baroque and early Neoclassical architecture-style palace located at Via Roma #99 in central Piacenza, region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy. History The palace was commissioned in 17 ...

Other works include at the

Duomo of Imola ''Duomo'' (, ) is an Italian term for a church with the features of, or having been built to serve as a cathedral, whether or not it currently plays this role. The Duomo of Monza, for example, has never been a diocesan seat and is by definition ...

Fermo Cathedral Fermo Cathedral () 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 the Archdiocese of Fermo. History Archaeological excavations have demonstrated ...

Fossombrone Cathedral Fossombrone Cathedral ( or ''dei Santi Aldebrando e Agostino''; ''Duomo di Fossombrone'') is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to Saint Aldebrandus and Saint Augustine located in the Piazza Mazzini at the end of Corso Garibaldi in the center ...

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

Lugo Lugo (, ) is a city in northwestern Spain in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia. It is the capital of the Lugo (province), province of Lugo. The municipality had a population of 100,060 in 2024, ...

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

Iesi Jesi () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Ancona, in the Italian region of Marche. 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 Adria ...

Osimo Osimo is a town and ''comune'' of the Marche 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. History The oldest archaeological evide ...

Forlì Forlì ( ; ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is, together with Cesena, the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena.The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the east of the Montone river, ...

, 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