Skip to main content Skip to Search Box

Fontana, Domenico

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(dōmĕ'nēkō fōntä'nä), 1543–1607, Italian architect. He went to Rome, where he built (c.1580) the Sistine Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore for Cardinal Peretti. When his patron was made pope (Sixtus V), Fontana played a leading part in the great rebuilding of Rome. He designed the Lateran palace (1588) and portions of the Vatican, notably the library (1588). An engineer as well as an architect, he built, with his brother Giovanni, the great aqueduct and fountain known as the Acqua Felice (1587) and in 1586 erected the obelisk in front of St. Peter's, a feat that won him wide renown. With Giacomo della Porta, he completed the dome of St. Peter's. On the death of Sixtus V, Fontana's Roman career collapsed; he withdrew to Naples, where he built the imposing royal palace (1600) and where he died before the execution of his magnificent designs for the improvement of the harbor. …
15 results
View of the interior of the dome, begun by Michelangelo in 1546 and completed by Domenico Fontana (1543-1607) in 1593 (photo)
Artist: Buonarroti, Michelangelo (1475-1564) Location: St. Peter's, Vatican City Credit: View of the interior of the dome, begun by Michelangelo in 1546 and completed by Domenico Fontana (1543-1607) in 1593 (photo), Buonarroti, Michelangelo (1475-1564) / St. Peter's, Vatican City / Giraudon / The…
| 101 words , 1 image
Key concepts:
Raising obelisk in St. Peter's Square at Vatican in April, 1586, engraving by Domenico Fontana (1543-1607)
| 54 words , 1 image
Key concepts:

Full text Article Fontana, Domenico

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
(dōmĕ'nēkō fōntä'nä), 1543–1607, Italian architect. He went to Rome, where he built (c.1580) the Sistine Chapel in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore for Cardinal Peretti. When his patron was made pope (Sixtus V), Fontana played a leading part in the great rebuilding of Rome. He designed the Lateran…
| 161 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Fontana, Domenico

From Chambers Biographical Dictionary
| 34 words
Key concepts:
Ptolemy's model of the universe in...
Abstract This chapter gives a brief overview of the history of solar system research from the earliest times up to the start of the space age. Keywords Asteroids; Comets; History; Meteor Showers; Moon; Origin of the Solar System; Planets; Sun This chapter gives a brief overview of the history of…
| 14,557 words , 8 images
Key concepts:
Pope Sixtus V, surrounded by the churches, buildings and monuments built or restored during his pontificate, engraved by Ambrosius, 1589 (engraving)
Artist: Italian School, (16th century) Location: Private Collection Credit: Pope Sixtus V, surrounded by the churches, buildings and monuments built or restored during his pontificate, engraved by Ambrosius, 1589 (engraving), Italian School, (16th century) / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art…
| 105 words , 1 image
Key concepts:

Full text Article Saint Peter's Church

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
Vatican City, principal and one of the largest churches of the Christian world. The present structure was built mainly between 1506 and 1626 on the original site of the Vatican cemetery and an early shrine to St. Peter . In the 4th cent. Emperor Constantine built the first church of St. Peter, a…
| 466 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Obelisk

From The Classical Tradition
Translated by Patrick Baker In 10 bce the emperor Augustus imported to Rome an obelisk from Heliopolis in Egypt, where it had honored the 19th-dynasty pharaohs Sethos I and Ramses II. Its new Roman location was at the center ( spina ) of the Circus Maximus; its new base added a Latin dedication to…
| 652 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article della Porta, Giacomo (c. 1537–1602)

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Italian architect. One of the leading exponents of Mannerism in Rome during the late 16th century, he is best known for completing works by Michelangelo . These include the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Capitol and, most notably, the dome of St Peter's Cathedral (1586–90), though both he and…
| 139 words
Key concepts:

Full text Article Vatican Palace

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Pope’s residence since the late 14th century, located north of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. First enclosed in 850, the irregularly walled compound contains gardens (begun by Nero ), courtyards, living quarters, galleries, the Vatican Museums and Library, and other facilities. The residence, …
| 207 words
Key concepts:
Mind Map

Stack overflow
More Library Resources