Ferdinando Crivelli

Ferdinando Crivelli (born June 16, 1810 in Bergamo ; † April 5, 1855 ibid) was an Italian architect, physicist, mathematician and geometer.

biography

He was born on June 16, 1810 in Bergamo, the son of Antonio, into a family with modest circumstances. After attending the most important elementary schools in his hometown, where he was noticed early on with his disposition to drawing, he enrolled in G. Bianconi's architecture courses at the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo in 1823 at the age of 13 . When he graduated, his examination was recognized as the best of the year.

He moved to Brera and won the second class architecture competition award in 1832 and the first class competition award in 1835. During this time Crivelli worked in the studios of the two most successful Lombard architects of the time, Giacomo Tazzini and Giuseppe Cusi , who was then chief engineer of the provinces of Como and Brescia. After an initial practical training from the engineer Pegorett, which was necessary to obtain an architecture license, Crivelli was Cusi's assistant in the construction of the Barriera delle Grazie (now Porta Nuova) in Bergamo and, with valuable technical results, led the design of the single-arch bridge over the Brembo in Ponte San Pietro . At the same time he continued his studies and in 1837 received an architect's degree from the University of Pavia .

In the meantime, he continued his private studies in algebra and geometry. After his enrollment at the University of Pavia on November 7, 1841, he acquired a physical-mathematical diploma there and obtained a license as a land surveying engineer after further training in Bergamo with PA Pagnoncelli.

In 1841 Crivelli was second in the competition that Giuseppe Berlendis won for the construction of the church in Sant'Andrea in Borgo Palazzo near Bergamo. However, he received two of the most important commissions of the time: the continuation of the work for the Church of Sant'Andrea and the renovation of the municipal high school, housed in the buildings of the former monastery of Rosate . The project for the grammar school in Bergamo was drawn up in 1840 and approved by the viceroy in 1844 with the changes imposed by Pietro Pestagalli. The building, in which only part of the old monastery rooms have been preserved, was completed in 1849 under pressure from the city administration.

Crivelli was one of the most respected local professionals: in 1846 he was elected a member of the University of Bergamo; 1851-1853 he was entrusted with the reconstruction of the dome of the cathedral in the upper town to replace the previous dome of Cusi after the model of Carlo Fontana from the 17th century.

Other well-known works are: the high altar in the parish church of Villasola ; the high altar of the parish church of Adrara San Martino (1843); the proposals for the Romano di Lombardia hospital that were not carried out ; the new roof and vault armor of the Riccardi Theater in Bergamo (today Donizetti Theater). Also in Bergamo the restoration of the house of Bartolomeo Suardi and the completion of the Palazzo Serassi, which was started according to a different plan, as well as the restoration of the Ricoardi theater were carried out by him.

Crivelli died on April 5, 1855, at the age of 44 in Bergamo after a serious illness.

literature

• Constantin von Wurzbach : Crivelli, Ferdinand . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich . 3rd part. Typogr.-literar.-artist publishing house. Establishment (L. C. Zamarski, C. Dittmarsch & Comp.), Vienna 1858, p. 29 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Gian Luca Kannès:  CRIVELLI, Ferdinando. In: Massimiliano Pavan (ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 31:  Cristaldi – Dalla Nave. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1985.