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Much ado about the façade of the Duomo in Milan

CASTELLI, Francesco.
Per la facciata del duomo do Milano.

With 3 folding, 2 double-page and one full-page engraved plates and 5 smaller mathematical woodcuts in the text.

[Milan, no printer, 1654]. Folio. Contemporary gilt (wall?) paper decorated with a pattern of red flowers stamped in, over boards. With 3 folding, 2 double-page and one full-page engraved plates and 5 smaller mathematical woodcuts in the text. 35 + 1 lvs.

First edition of the extensive justification by Francesco Castelli, published as a result of the rejection of his designs for a new façade of the Duomo in Milan of 1648 (Plates 4-6). A second edition appeared in 1656.
Although many architects, of which Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini was the most famous, had endorsed Castelli's designs (all published in this work), the design of his competitor Carlo Buzzi was chosen (Plate 3). Buzzi had been recently - unexpectedly - appointed head of the church factory of the Duomo, as the successor of Francesco Maria Richino, who also had designed a new façade elaborating on the earlier designs of Pellegrino Tibaldi (Plates 1-2).
The design of Pellegrino Tibaldi / Richino was in the Romanesque style, that of Buzzi in Gothic style, while the design of Castelli combined gothic elements with a Baroque style. The judgments of many Italian architects on such a controversial project as the replacement of the façade of one of the most important cathedrals in Italy provides us with a highly interesting discussion. We are given a clear insight into how the most important Italian architects of the mid-seventeenth century - Bernini among them - viewed the different architectural styles, and it gives us an impression of where their preferences lay.

This extremely rare work is therefore of the utmost importance for the history of architecture and the role that different styles played in it.

Contents:
Texts:
f. 1r: Title (verso blank).
f. 2r: Laudatory poem in typographical border: "In lode della fabrica del duomo di Milano. Del Gia co. Hermes stampa".
f. 2v: Laudatory poem in typographical border: "Del conte Gioanni Rabbia".
f. 3r-6v (A1-A4, + one extra lv. between f. 5 and 6 of a slightly smaller format with printed text on the same subject from another printed book): "Per la facciata del Duomo di Milano", an introduction to the subject and an overview of the recent plans (1634- July 1654).
f. 7r-12v (A1-A6): "A": Discussions on the façade of the Duomo. (1) "Oppositione del Richini" by Francesco Maria Richino, ingegnero camerale, with the answers of Francesco Castelli: "Risposta del Castelli", and (2) "Oppositione fatta dal Butio" by Carlo Buzzi, ingegnero della Ven. Fabrica, with the answers of Castelli printed next to each other.
f. 13r-16v (A1-A4): "B": Commentary on the design of Francesco Castelli by Giovanni Battista Baratteri (DBI 6, p. 1-2): "Illustrissimo, & eccellentissimo Sigor mio Sig. Patron Collendissimo", dated Codogno, 15 October 1651.
f. 17r: "C": Commentary on the designs of Francesco Castelli and Carlo Buzzi by the famous Italian architect Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680); verso blank.
f. 18r: "D": idem by Giovanni Battista Giattini S.J., dated Roma, 23 March 1652; verso blank.
f. 19r-20r: "E": Elaboration on the answer of Castelli on the fifth 'oppositiion' by Richino on f. 8v (f. 19r); two answers by Pietro Paiolo Caravaggi on letters of Castelli, the first dated 11 Marchy 1652 (f. 19v-20r; verso blank).
f. 21r: "F": Commentary on the designs of Francesco Castelli and Carlo Buzzi by the Venetian architects Sebastiano Rocca Tagliata and Baldessar Longhena, dated Venice, 14 July 1653 (verso blank).
f. 22r-v: "G": idem by Benedetto Giovannelli Orlandi, dated Sienna, 9 March 1654.
f. 23r: "H": idem by the architect Vincemzo Paoli, dated 10 June 1654 (verso blank).
f. 24r-25r: "I": idem by Guido Antonio Costa, dated Urbino, 17 June 1654: "Abozzo di discorso contenante le considerationi fatte sopra doi dissegni di facciata per l'inclita fabrica del duomo di Milano".
f. 26r-v: "L": idem by Bartolomeo Avanzini.
f. 27r: "M": idem by Daniel de Capitanei de Scalve Porro (verso and f. 28 blank).
f. 29r-32v: Anonymous evaluation of the plans by "N.N.", dated 24 July 1653.
f. 33r: Another note on the subject by Francesco Castelli (verso blank).
f. 34r-35v: :Deiparae natali / Deiparae nascenti M.CCC.LXXXVI.

Plates:
1. Design of the façade of the Duomo in Milan by Francesco Maria Richino, double-page engraving (2 lvs glued together) by Curletus after the design by Pellegrinus and the drawing by Francesco Castellus.
2. Another design by Richino, double-page engraving (2 lvs glued together).
3. Spectacular large folding engraving (2 lvs. glued together) of the desig of the façade by Carlo Buzzi with separate folding parts showing (more modest) alternatives for the towers on the right and left corner and on top of the façade.
4. Folding engraving (2 lvs glued together) by Francesco Castelli of his own (gotic) design.
5. Full-page engraving by Castelli of his design of a part of a side of the Duomo.
6. Large folding engraving by Castelli of the plan of the Duomo.

Very good copy of this rare work.

Dizion. biogr. degli Italiani 21, p. 716-8; Storia di Milano XI (1958), p . 444 f.; Annali della Fabbrica del duomo V (1883), pp. 223-239; N. Carboneri, 'F. Juvarra e il problema della facciata "alla gotica" del duomo di Milano', in: Arte Lombarda, 7,2 (1962), pp. 94-104; Thieme-Becker V, pp. 152-3.

Related Subjects: 17th Century Architecture Churches Italy

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