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Biography

Domenico Martinelli
*Lucca, 30. 11. 1650, †Lucca, 11. 09. 1718

     The name of Domenico Martinelli  is one of the synonyms for the Italian Baroque architecture to the North of the Alps. After being ordained as a priest in his hometown of Lucca in Tuscany, Martinelli´s interest turned to architecture. He studied it on a prestigious Academia di San Luca in Rome, where he later worked as one of its most important pedagogues.

     During his professional career Martinelli created project for the leading noblemen of his time (Polish king John III. Sobieski, English king Willem III. Orange, German kurfirst Johann Wilhelm von Falz, kurfirst Lothar Franz von Schönborn from Mainz)  and also counts Kounitz and Liechtenstein). His business trips led Martinelli not only to his native Italy, but also to Austria (Vienna), Bohemia and Moravia, Poland and the Netherlands. In the period 1692-1705 Martinelli created one of his most important works – palace of the House of Liechtenstein in Vienna, which at present houses one of the most remarkable European collections of the Baroque art.  The very first contact of Martinelli with Prague is connected to the year 1692 (The Sternberk Palace). Also in other places of the Czech Republic are to be found the footsteps of his creative activities (e.g. in Rousínov, Letonice, Uherský Brod or Valtice). Many buildings in Moravia are also closely connected to Martinelli´s contacts with the House of Kounitz (famous chateau Austerlitz).

     The important contemporaries of Martinelli were for example Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lukas von Hildebrand. Unfortunately Martinelli sometimes stays in the shad of these architects, although there is no reason for it. Project Martinelli therefore aims at introducig the personality of this Baroque genius of architecture in all its complexity and beauty.


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