Baldassare Longhena
architect; b. 1604; d. 1682.
The last architect of the great Venetian school. He formed himself on the work of Scamozzi, Palladio, and Jacopo Sansovino. His earliest important undertaking was the church of S. Maria della Salute, Venice, which was begun in 1631, but not finished until 1656. In 1640 he was appointed Proto della procuratia di Sopra, or state architect of Venice. The splendid church of S. Maria agli Scalzi, which Longhena built about 1646, is also famous for the ceiling of the nave by G. B. Tiepolo. Longhena built the Capella Vendramini in the church of S. Pietro di Castello, the ancient cathedral of Venice, and the great altar of the church of S. Francesco della Vigna. The most perfect expression of his skill is the Palazzo Pesaro, built about 1644. He built also the Palazzo Battaglia (now Belloni), the Palazzo Flangini, the Palazzo Giustinian-Lolin, the Palazzo Zanne, near Sant' Agostino, the Palazzo Lezze, the Palazzo Morosini, near San Casciano, the Palazzo Marcello (now Papadopoli), near Santa Marina, and the Palazzo Widmann, near San Casciano. He built also the great stairway of the monastery of S. Giorgio Maggiore, and the monument to the Doge Giovanni Pesaro in the church of the Frari. All the work mentioned here is in Venice.
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