Giuseppe Benoni
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Giuseppe Benoni (1618–1684) was an Italian architect, active during 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, mainly in
Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
.


Biography

He was born either in Udine or Trento. He worked on a number of engineering problems for the
Venetian Republic The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...
. He appears to have moved to Venice at about the age of forty, and gained the title of "Proto" to the Magistrate of Water. In 1675–76, work began on renovation of the structures and decoration of the '' Dogana da Mar'', the
customs house A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...
across the canal from the
Doge's palace The Doge's Palace (''Doge'' pronounced ; ; ) is a palace built in Venetian Gothic architecture, Venetian Gothic style, and one of the main landmarks of the city of Venice in northern Italy. The palace included government offices, a jail, and th ...
. A Venetian council on 29 August 1676 requested proposals for refurbishing the Dogana and received designs from Benoni, Longhena, Andrea Cominelli, and Giuseppe Sardi (Venice). Only the former two designs went for further study by a committee formed by the following Procurators: Antonio Bernardo, Giovanni Battista Cornaro, Alvise Pisani, Giovanni Sagredo cavalier, Francesco Morosini cavalier, Leonardo Pesaro, Giulio Giustinian, Alvise Mocenigo IV, Silvestro Valier cavalier, and Alessandro Contarini. They ended seclecting Benoni's project, priced at 6000 ducats over Loghena's project costing twice as much. In a publication about the project, Benoni states:''dispostolo in maniera tale, che spichi e sia d'ornamento maggiore alla qualità del sito cospiquo nel quale deve essere eretto; l'ho fatto con l'ordine e legature corrispondenti al rimanente della fabbrica già cominciata e con le rustiche uniforme alle poste in opera; per render unita, e congiunta la fronte alli due fianchi ho insieme procurato non ostante la ristrettezza e irregolarità del sito di renderlo di gran fronte et di figura regolare, e che unitamente dimostri fortezza e sodezza. Ho considerato la distanza e siti d'ogni intorno da quali prendesi la veduta, et hauto mira l'occhio trovi in tutte le parti che lo circonda varietà di vedute da dilettarsi, et impiegarsi, al che servono gl'interculunnii che formano le loggie per transito, e comodo coperto, oltre, che quelle dalle parti fiancheggiano li canali fondamente e magazzeni'', F. Lazzari, pages 24-25.
(I have arranged) it in such a way that it stands out and adorns more than the quality of the conspicuous site in which it is to be erected... in order to make the distal end similar on both sides, despite the narrowness and irregularity of the site, I procured to make it front and regular in shape, and which together shows strength and firmness. I have considered the distance and sites of all around from which to take the view, and have allowed for an eye, in all the parts that surround it, to have a variety of views to be delighted, and formed... loggias to allow comfortable and covered transit from the sides flank the canals and warehouses.
The building was built with the views of the adjacent
Salute A salute is usually a formal hand gesture or other action used to display respect in military situations. Salutes are primarily associated with the military and law enforcement, but many civilian organizations, such as Girl Guides, Boy Sc ...
in mind. The building has a rustication appropriate for a government office, much like Jacopo Sansovino's '' Zecca'' (or mint). It is decorated by two bronze atlantes who bear a gilded sphere surmounted by the goddess Fortune holding a wind vane.


Sources


Venetian heritage entry
1618 births 1684 deaths Republic of Venice architects Italian Baroque architects {{Italy-architect-stub