Francesco Camporesi (1747,

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...

– 1831,

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

, engraver and educator who worked in

in 1780s-1820s. Most of his architectural work perished in the Fire of 1812, was severely altered, demolished or otherwise lost.

Biography

Camporesi arrived in Russia in the 1780s, probably as an assistant to

Giacomo Quarenghi Giacomo Quarenghi (; rus, Джа́комо Кваре́нги, Džákomo Kvaréngi, ˈdʐakəmə kvɐˈrʲenʲɡʲɪ; 20 or 21 September 1744) was an Italian architect who was the foremost and most prolific practitioner of neoclassical architectu ...

. Extent of his architectural work in 18th century remains disputed, and he is better known as a fine vedutist who documented Moscow prior to the devastating Fire of 1812. For a decade (1784-1796) Camporesi worked under Quarenghi and

Karl Blank Karl Blank (russian: Карл Иванович Бланк) (1728–1793) was a Russian architect, notable as one of the last practitioners of Baroque architecture and the first Moscow architect to build early neoclassical buildings. His surviving, ...

on the Catherine's Palace in

, where he was employed both as an architect and a

plasterer A plasterer is a tradesman or tradesperson who works with plaster, such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. The process of creating plasterwork, called plastering, has been u ...

craftsman. Eventually, he developed into a ''generalist architect'': capable of independently managing construction projects, Camporesi was regularly employed by private clients - for his design talents as well as business capabilities. His input to

Nikolai Sheremetev Nikolai Petrovich Sheremetev (russian: Никола́й Петро́вич Шереметев) (28 June 1751 - 2 January 1809 O.S., 9 July 1751 - 14 January 1809 N.S.) was a Russian count, the son of Petr Borisovich Sheremetev, notable grandee ...

Ostankino Palace Ostankino Palace is a former summer residence and private opera theatre of Sheremetev family, originally situated several kilometres to the north from Moscow but now a part of the North-Eastern Administrative Okrug of Moscow. Extant historical Ost ...

, for example, included interior design, architectural drafts of palace expansion, and also budget schedules and hiring craftsmen.A. Потькалова. К вопросу о деятельности архитектора Франческо Кампорези (1747 – 1831) в Москве. 199

Works by the architect are best preserved in the vicinity of

Yakhroma Yakhroma (russian: Я́хрома) is a town in Dmitrovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Yakhroma River, north of Moscow. Population: History It was founded in 1841 as a settlement servicing a local textile factory on the Ya ...

, in former estates of Apraksin and

Sheremetev The House of Sheremetev (russian: Шереме́тевы) was one of the wealthiest and most influential noble families in Russia descending from Feodor Koshka who was of Old Prussian origin. History The family held many high commanding rank ...

families. Camporesi also left a significant legacy of unbuilt architectural drafts (preserved at the

Moscow Museum of Architecture The ShchusevThe official site of the museum prefers the spelling ''Schusev''. Museum of Architecture is a national museum of Russian Architecture located in Moscow the capital of Russia and also a research centre to study and promote the architec ...

), including an unusual large octagonal structure codenamed ''Moscow House''. Contemporary studies fail to explain the purpose of this elaborate project; probably, it's octagonal plan was a homage to

Saint Michael's Castle Saint Michael's Castle (russian: Миха́йловский за́мок, ''Mikhailovsky zamok''), also called the Mikhailovsky Castle or the Engineers' Castle (russian: Инженерный замок, ''Inzhenerny zamok''), is a former royal ...

, commissioned by one of

emperor Paul Paul I (russian: Па́вел I Петро́вич ; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination. Officially, he was the only son of Peter III and Catherine the Great, although Catherine hinted that he was fathered by her l ...

's statesmen and discarded after Paul's death. In 1810s-1820s Camporesi was employed by the Commission of

Moscow Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (R ...

; in addition to restoration of Kremlin buildings he coached students of the Kremlin school of architecture, most notably

Domenico Giliardi Domenico Gilardi (Доменико Жилярди, 1785–1845), was a Swiss people, Swiss architect who worked primarily in Moscow, Russia in Neoclassicism, Neoclassicist style. He was one of key architects charged with rebuilding the city after ...

and

Afanasy Grigoriev Afanasy Grigorievich Grigoriev (russian: Афанасий Григорьевич Григорьев) (21 January 1782 – 13 May 1868) was a Russian Neoclassical architect, who worked in Moscow and its suburbs. Grigoriev is remembered for his re ...

Extant architectural works

Image:Moscow, Myasnitskaya 43 (1).jpg, Lobanov-Rostovsky House, 1790s Image:Kremlin by Camporesi (3).jpg, Panorama of Kremlin, 1780s Undisputed works: * Main hall and master plan of count Apraksin Olgovo estate, near

, 1790s Attributed with more or less certainty: * Theater hall of

* Church of

The Protection of the Mother of God The Intercession of the Theotokos, or the Protection of Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, is a Christianity, Christian feast of the Mother of God celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches on October 1 (Juli ...

in countess Orlova Andreevskoe estate near Yakhroma, 1803-1821 * Church of

Ascension of Jesus The Ascension of Jesus (anglicized from the Vulgate la, ascensio Iesu, lit=ascent of Jesus) is the Christian teaching that Christ physically departed from Earth by rising to Heaven, in the presence of eleven of his apostles. According to the N ...

in count Apraksin Peremilovo estate, near Yakhroma, 1792-1801 * Lobanov-Rostovsky house at 43, Myasnitskaya Street, Moscow

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Camporesi, Francesco 19th-century Italian architects 18th-century Italian architects Russian architects 1747 births 1831 deaths Architects from Bologna Date of birth unknown Burials at Vvedenskoye Cemetery