Giovanni Battista Magnani (21 September 1571 – 1653) was an Italian architect working entirely in

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...

in the first half of the 17th century. He was the most successful of a family of masons and architects that included his father Nicostrato and his son Carlo. He was trained in the workshop of

Giovan Battista Aleotti Giovan Battista Aleotti (1546 – 12 December 1636) was an Italian architect. Biography Aleotti was born in Argenta, Italy, Argenta. For some years, Aleotti went to Ferrara, to work under Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrara, Alfonso II d'Este where with ...

, with whom he collaborated at the hexagonal church of Santa Maria del Quartiere, and which he completed after Aleotti's death, altering the design (1604–1610). He completed Aleotti's indoor theatre for Ranuccio Farnese, the first theatre with changeable scenery. Among his early works on his own are the monument erected in the Duomo to his friend, the painter

Agostino Carracci Agostino Carracci (or Caracci) (16 August 1557 – 22 March 1602) was an Italian painter, printmaker, tapestry designer, and art teacher. He was, together with his brother, Annibale Carracci, and cousin, Ludovico Carracci, one of the founders of ...

(died 1602), the altar to Saint Joseph in the

Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata The Shrine of Santa Maria della Steccata is a Greek-cross design Renaissance church in central Parma, Italy. The name derives from the fence (Italian: ''steccato'') in the church. A Nursing Madonna is enshrined within, crowned on 27 May 1601 by ...

(1608) and, in fulfilment of a vow, that for the

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

in Santa Maria Maddalena de' Pazzi (1611). In 1622 he was nominated architect to the city, in the service of the Farnese dukes. In this capacity he was responsible for four temporary

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crow ...

es, one of which was engraved in Milan by Carlo Bianchi, was intended for the festive and solemn first '' entrata'' into Parma of

Margherita de' Medici Margherita de' Medici (31 May 1612 – 6 February 1679) was Duchess of Parma and Piacenza by her marriage to Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma. Margherita was regent of Piacenza in 1635, and regent of the entire duchy from 1646 until 1648 during ...

following her wedding in Florence to Duke

Odoardo I Farnese Odoardo Farnese (28 April 1612 – 11 September 1646), also known as Odoardo I Farnese to distinguish him from his grandson Odoardo II Farnese, was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1622 to 1646. Biography Odoardo was the eldest legit ...

, 11 October 1628.Simon Jervis, "A Seventeenth-Century Book of Engraved Ornament", ''The Burlington Magazine'' 128 No. 1005 (December 1986:893-903), illustrated p. 895, fig. 44, described p. 897; Irving Lavin, "On the Unity of the Arts and the Early Baroque Opera House", ''Perspecta'' 26 Theater, Theatricality, and Architecture (1990:1-20), p. 10, describing the festivities at length. One of the remaining arches is the

Arch of San Lazzaro, Parma The Arch of San Lazzaro ( it, Arco di San Lazzaro) is a triumphal arch that stands just outside and east of the city of Parma, Region of Emilia-Romagna. It was constructed in 1628 under the designs of Giovanni Battista Magnani to celebrate the ar ...

. Among his works are the fountain in the Benedictine monastery of San Paolo (1613–1624); the interior reconstruction and

campanile A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...

of Sant'Alessandro (1622–1624); the arcaded municipal palazzo (1627–1629). He collaborated in the construction of the courtyard and grand staircase of the

Palazzo della Pilotta The Palazzo della Pilotta is a complex of edifices located between Piazzale della Pace and the Lungoparma in the historical centre of Parma, region of Emilia Romagna, Italy. Its name derives from the game of pelota played at one time by Spanish ...

. Among designs attributed to him are that for the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie (1617), in the Oltretorrente district of Parma. Design of the conservative façade of the church of San Giovanni Evangelista, still

Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...

in its handling, which has sometimes been attributed to him, was entrusted to

Simone Moschino Simone Moschino (12 November 1553 - 20 June 1610) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor and architect, born in Orvieto as Simone Simoncelli. The son of the court sculptor Francesco Mosca and nephew of Simone Mosca, he was trained in the Tuscan ...

, and carried out by Giambattista Carra da Bissone, who also realized the sculptures.

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Further reading