Francesco Sabatini

This article is about the Italian architect. Not to be confused with Italian linguist Francesco Sabatini (born 1931).

Francesco Sabatini byGoya,c. 1775–79.

Convent of San Pascual,atAranjuez.

Royal Customs House,Madrid

Puerta de Alcalá,Madrid

Francesco Sabatini(1721 – 19 February 1797),also known asFrancisco Sabatini,was an Italianarchitectwho worked in Spain.

Biography

Born inPalermo,he studiedarchitectureinRome.His first contacts with theSpanish monarchywas when he participated in the construction of thePalace of Casertafor the King ofNaples,Charles VII, the future KingCharles III of Spain.When he was raised to the Spanish throne, he called Sabatini toMadridin 1760, where he was positioned above the most outstanding Spanish architects of the time. He was appointed as Great Master of Royal Works, with the rank oflieutenant colonelat the Engineers Corps, simultaneously designated also as an honorary academician of theAcademia Real de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

Sabatini's works are all encompassed within theneoclassicaltradition, but he was not inspired fundamentally byancient Greeceand Rome, but by ItalianRenaissance architecture.

His talent as an architect and the king's support king resulted in many commissions and professional recognition. He was promoted tolieutenant generalof the Engineers Corps, was granted the degree of Knight of theOrder of Santiago,and had direct access to the innermost royal circle after his designation asgentilhombre de camara(Gentleman of the Royal Chamber).

TheSabatini Gardens(located in front of the north facade of theRoyal Palace of Madrid,between the Bailén street and the hill of San Vicente) were not designed by him; they were created in the 1930s on the site formerly occupied by thestablesconstructed by Sabatini.

Furthermore, Sabatini was responsible for building the Arms Factory ofToledo,the headquarters for theWalloon GuardsinLeganés(presently part of theCharles III University of Madrid), a convent inValladolid(Santa Ana) and another one inGranada(Comendadoras of Santiago) and the well-known Chapel of the Immaculate in theBurgo de Osma Cathedral.

He died in Madrid on February 19, 1797.

Works

Among his numerous works the most important were:

• Works of theRoyal Palace of Madriduntil its conclusion (1760–1764).
• Planning of thesewagesystem of Madrid, which was paved with stones and cleaned (1761–1765) for the urban reform of the city of Madrid.
• Royal Customs Housein the Alcala Street (1761–1769), present seat of the Ministry of Property.
• Tombs ofFerdinand VI of SpainandBárbara de Braganza,located in theChurch of Santa Barbaraof theConvent of the Salesas Reales,withFrancisco Gutiérrez Arribas.
• Convent of San Pascual,inAranjuez(1765–1770).
• Renovation ofCuesta de San Vicente(1767–1777).
• Prolongation of the Southeastern wing of the Royal Palace begins (1772).
• Reconstruction of themonasteryof the Comendadoras of Santiago (1773).
• Puerta de Alcalá(1774–1778).
• Direction of works of theBasilica of San Francisco el Grande(1774–1784).
• Puerta de San Vicente(1775).
• Casa de los Secretarios de Estado y del Despacho, also known as the Palace of the Marquess de Grimaldi and Palace of Godoy (1776).
• Continuation of the works of the General Hospital thatJosé de Hermosillahad initiated (1776–1781) during the reign of Ferdinand VI (at the present time theMuseo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía)
• Convent of Franciscan of San Gil in thePrado de Leganitos(1786–1797), recently transformed byManuel Martín Rodriguez.
• Change of the direction of the main stairs of the Royal Palace by desire ofCharles IV of Spain.
• Reconstruction of thePlaza Mayor de Madridafter the 1790 fire, together withJuan de Villanueva.
• The project of creating a military base inLeganés.Sabatini planned Cuartel de Saboya's construction. However, the person in charge of building this military complex was José de Hermosilla, who finished it in 1783. Currently, this place belongs to theCharles III University of Madrid.