Francesco Antonio Picchiatti (10 January 1619, Ferrara – 28 August 1694, Naples) was an Italian architect of the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

period active in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. He is also called Picchetto. He was son of

Bartolommeo Picchiatti Bartolomeo Picchiatti (Ferrara, 1571 – Naples, 3 April 1643) was an Italian engineer and architect. A short street in the Soccavo area of the city is named after him. Life He moved to Naples in 1593, having been summoned by the architect Dome ...

, who also served as an architect in Naples.

Biography

Francesco Antonio lived nearly all his life in Naples and worked for various Spanish viceroys. He worked under

Pedro Antonio de Aragón Pedro Antonio de Aragón (7 November 1611 – 1 September 1690) was a Spanish nobleman, military figure and politician who served under Kings Philip IV and Charles II of Spain. He was the brother of Cardinal Pascual de Aragón, Viceroy of Naples ...

and was held in high esteem by the Marquis of Carpio, Don Gaspar de Haro, who was viceroy in Naples from 1683 to 1687. Francesco Antonio served this Marquis as an antiquarian and collector. Francesco Antonio worked on a number of projects in Naples. He aided in the reconstruction of the church of San Agostino near the Royal Mint, the church of the Divino Amore, the church and Monastery of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and that of San Girolamo delle Monache, as well as

Palazzo Cellamare The Palazzo Cellamare or Cellammare is a monumental palace located in via Chiaia 139 in the Quartiere San Ferdinando of Naples, Italy. The entrance is near the church of Santa Caterina a Chiaia. History The palace was erected in the 16th centur ...

. He helped build, and with his father design, the circular church of ''

Pio Monte della Misericordia The Pio Monte della Misericordia is a church in the historic center of Naples, southern Italy. It is famous for its art works, including Caravaggio's '' The Seven Works of Mercy''. A charity brotherhood (''Pio Monte della Misericordia'' in I ...

'', which contains

Caravaggio Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (also Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi da Caravaggio; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), known mononymously as Caravaggio, was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the fina ...

The Seven Works of Mercy ''The Seven Works of Mercy'' (), also known as ''The Seven Acts of Mercy'', is an oil painting by Italy, Italian painter Caravaggio, circa 1607. The painting depicts the Works of Mercy#Corporal works of mercy, seven corporal works of mercy in t ...

. He helped complete the Spire of San Domenico to a design by

Cosimo Fanzago Cosimo Fanzago (Clusone, 12 October 1591 – Napoli, 13 February 1678) was an Italian architect and sculptor, generally considered the greatest such artist of the Baroque period in Naples, Italy. Biography Early life and education Fanzago was ...

. Picchiatti was so intent on preserving and cataloging remnants of the original

Greco-Roman The Greco-Roman world , also Greco-Roman civilization, Greco-Roman culture or Greco-Latin culture (spelled Græco-Roman or Graeco-Roman in British English), as understood by modern scholars and writers, includes the geographical regions and co ...

city beneath the construction site that the work on the spire itself was eventually suspended and wasn't resumed until many years later. He designed the convent of Santa Croce di Luca, begun in 1643. The convent stood at the extreme western end of the old historic city. It was demolished in 1900 to make room for the new Polyclinic hospital; a small section was left standing as an historical marker. He also help design the cloister attached to the church of

San Domenico Maggiore San Domenico Maggiore is a Gothic architecture, Gothic, Roman Catholic church and monastery, founded by the friars of the Dominican Order, and located in the square of the same name in the historic center of Naples. History The square is bord ...

; when he died, the work was continued by his younger colleague

Giovan Battista Nauclerio Giovanni Battista Nauclerio (Naples, 1666 - Naples, 1739) was an Italian architect and engineer, active in Naples, Italy. Biography Nauclerio is described as one of the Naples architects who went against the grain, paving the way for columned n ...

Notes

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Picchiati, Francesco Antonio 1619 births 1694 deaths 17th-century Italian architects Italian Baroque architects Architects from Naples Architects from Ferrara