Francesco Ottavio Magnocavalli, also spelt Magnocavallo (1707–1789) was an Italian architect and writer. Born in

Casale Monferrato Casale Monferrato () is a town in the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy, northwestern Italy, in the province of Alessandria. It is situated about east of Turin on the right bank of the Po River, Po, where the river runs at the foot of the Montfe ...

to Ippolito, count of Varengo (today part of the '' commune'' of

Gabiano Gabiano (Gabian in Piedmontese) is a rural ''comune'' in the northwest of the province of Alessandria, some west of Casale Monferrato. This area straddles the lowland immediately south of the Po and the furthest extension of the Monferrato hil ...

) and the countess Veronica Pico Pastrona, he studied at a Jesuit college in

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

. On his return to Casale, he established himself as an essayist, dramatist and poet, before adopting the career for which he is best known, as an architect. He worked on a number of '' palazzi'' in Casale and designed churches throughout

Monferrato Montferrat ( , ; ; , ; ) is a historical region of Piedmont, in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine district ...

. In 1738 he married Maria Felice, daughter of the Count of Salmour.‘Niccolini visita Penango’
, Pagine Moncalvesi, No. 4 (1998).

Notes

1707 births 1789 deaths People from Casale Monferrato 18th-century Italian architects Architects from Piedmont {{Italy-architect-stub