“Con la spada di capitano e con le seste dell’ingegnero”: Francesco Laparelli architetto a Roma

Francesco Laparelli arrived in Rome after the election of Pope Pius IV by invitation of his friend Gabrio Serbelloni, a cousin of the pontiff. A few weeks after his transfer to Rome, Laparelli was sent to Civitavecchia, where he designed new defense fortifications. Back in Rome, Laparelli worked between 1561 and 1565 on fortification buildings of the Borgo and Castel Sant'Angelo, and on the new quarter Civitas Pia’s planning. He also cultivated his architectural profession with drawings and sketches of noble residences, churches, and urban settlements. His activity in the Fabbrica of St. Peter’s in Vatican is of particular interest. Laparelli was never an architect for the Fabbrica, as some biographers report, nor was he registered in the official roles of the papal institution, and there is only one payment in his name. Nevertheless, in April 1565, Laparelli wrote a report on Michelangelo's project for the dome of the Basilica, proposing himself as his successor. Laparelli claimed to have studied the project in depth and to have drawn useful indications for its realisation, such as some suggestions for the thicknesses of the dome - considered insufficient -, their static independence, and the lack of contrasts. This paper provides an update on Laparelli's work in Rome and in the Fabbrica of St.Peter’s, rectifying some of the information by literature and highlighting his talents as an expert technician and refined designer, as proved by the impressive project for Valletta, Malta's new city.