What Trezzini built. Biography

Domenico Andrea Trezzini photography

Born in the Swiss town of Astano (near Lugano, in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino) ca. 1670 in a poor noble family. Studied in Venice. He came to Copenhagen in search of work. He did not receive orders from the Danish royal court, but the local Russian ambassador A. Izmailov invited him to Russia - “to serve in the city and ward buildings” (1703).

In the same year, he arrived at the construction site of the new Russian capital through Arkhangelsk. Its first major structure was Fort Kronshlot (the future Kronstadt), which successfully withstood the attack of the Swedish squadron (however, the Kronstadt fortifications of this time have not survived and are known only from engravings). In 1704 he renovated the damaged fortifications of Narva. Finally, in 1706 he began his main work - the construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress, which was to be converted from earthen to stone. By 1718, the fortress as such - with massive squat walls, bastions and Peter's Gate (decorated with relief attributes of military valor and the allegorical composition of the Overthrow of Simon the Magus by the Apostle Peter by the sculptor K. Osner) - had already been largely built. In 1712–1733, the Peter and Paul Cathedral rose above it - a three-nave basilica with a slender bell tower crowned with a grandiose gilded spire (in general, the entire height of the bell tower with the spire is 112 m, 32 m more than “Ivan the Great” in the Moscow Kremlin). This cathedral became the largest of those stylistically landmark monuments of Peter the Great’s time, which, as it were, turned Orthodox church construction towards the West, transforming not only its external decorative decoration (as was the case in the “Moscow” or “Naryshkin” baroque), but the entire architectonics , marked here with a decoratively spare but powerful rhythm of pilasters and volutes.

The “Office of City Affairs,” created to oversee the construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress, soon became the architectural headquarters of the entire new capital (Trezzini was the right hand of the head of the Office, U.A. Senyavin). Buildings and entire complexes based on the designs of the Swiss master were erected in key locations in St. Petersburg. Of these, the following have survived: Peter's Summer Palace in the Summer Garden (1710–1714), the Annunciation Church with the Spiritual Corps in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra (1717–1722), the building of 12 colleges on the spit of Vasilyevsky Island (now a university; 1722–1734), the last one stands out with its special length (frontal width 383 m). Having introduced completely new height and length parameters into architecture for Russia, Trezzini at the same time subtly differentiated the style based on the purpose of the building. If his church images, more “southern” in spirit, are emphatically stately and large-scale, then his secular images (the Summer Palace and 12 colleges), on the contrary, are subordinated, first of all, to the principle of practical convenience and compactness, characteristic of the northern, Dutch Baroque. Constantly working on Peter’s personal instructions, the architect also made a decisive contribution to the regular planning of the city on the Neva as a whole (primarily on Vasilyevsky Island) and drew up “exemplary” (standard) designs for residential buildings to accommodate different segments of the population (“eminent”, “ wealthy" and "mean").

Trezzini's house functioned as a home school: from among his "Gesel" assistants came a number of prominent architects, including architects Pietro Antonio Trezzini (son of Domenico; b. 1710 - year of death unknown), who built in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, and M G. Zemtsov.

Domenico Trezzini is considered the first architect of St. Petersburg. He managed to work for many years in close contact with Peter I, carrying out his will and implementing his ideas. The formed Petrovsky Baroque is the creative style of Trezzini.

Domenico Trezzini was born in 1670 in Switzerland in the village of Astano near the city of Lugano. The surname Trezzini belongs to an old Italian noble family. In the modern city of Astano, a three-story stone house of the Trezzini family with a coat of arms on the facade has been preserved. In the vicinity of Lugano, there have long been a huge number of art and craft schools, so-called “academies”, where young people were trained and acquired professional skills. Domenico Trezzini graduated from one of these schools. He then continued his education in Italy, choosing Venice for this. Returning home, Trezzini got married and had daughters.

The family had to be fed, but it was very difficult to find a job as an architect in Switzerland. Domenico decided to go to Denmark. Trezzini's professional career as a fortification architect began at the court of the Danish king Frederick IV. Denmark was Russia's ally in the war with Sweden, and Peter I's ambassador to the court of the Danish king, Andrei Izmailov, was constantly looking for specialists of various professions to work in Russia. The young fortifier was promised a salary of 1000 rubles a year, which was fabulous wealth for him. This was actually huge money at that time. By the way, the salary of Tsar Peter himself as a captain-scorer was almost three times less. In the last days of June 1703, together with other specialists hired by Izmailov, Trezzini sailed to Russia. He did not imagine then that the contract he signed for a year would last until the end of his life, and Russia would become his second home.

Wartime conditions required the construction of defensive structures, and the first task that Tsar Peter entrusted to Trezzini was the construction of Fort Kronshlot in the Gulf of Finland off the coast of Kotlin Island. There, the architect erected a massive and solemn triumphal gate. Unfortunately, they have not survived to this day. Fast and energetic, Trezzini knew his business well. From the very first years, he proved himself to be very good and subsequently invariably enjoyed the trust of Peter I. In 1705, the architect returned to the banks of the Neva, where the construction of St. Petersburg was intensively underway. He was entrusted with creating the main defense of the city - the Peter and Paul Fortress, which Tsar Peter ordered to be rebuilt in stone. In addition to stone walls, barracks, powder magazines and other buildings were also erected in it. Under the protection of the stone walls of the fortress, construction began on the first stone cathedral in St. Petersburg - the Peter and Paul Cathedral, which Peter I also ordered Trezzini to build.

The scale of urban construction was so great that a special institution was required to organize and supply such a grandiose construction project with building materials. For the timely fulfillment of all these needs, by decree of the tsar, the Office of City Affairs was created. Peter put Ulyan Akimovich Senyavin at its head. The brother of the famous admiral was an excellent organizer, and Trezzini became his first assistant. Later, the office would become in charge not only of construction, but also of the entire layout of St. Petersburg. Soon after the founding of St. Petersburg, Tsar Peter had the idea to found a monastery near the city in honor of Prince Alexander Nevsky. The place for the monastery was chosen by the king himself. Domenico Trezzini completed the model of the monastery, which Peter approved, and work began in 1712. And now the crimson-red buildings with white decor and the Annunciation Church are the decoration of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. But not only fortresses and cathedrals were the architect’s concern. In 1711, construction began on a new Winter Palace. This palace was also called “Wedding Chambers”, since the wedding ceremony of Peter I and Catherine took place there. This palace has not survived to this day; its drawings and model made by Trezzini have also not survived. Only from the documents on the construction of the palace can one judge the requirements of the king and the capabilities of the architect. The royal palace was built in the fall of 1712, and Trezzini again pleased the emperor.

Trezzini was not just an architect at the Office of City Affairs - he became the Tsar's right hand in all construction matters of St. Petersburg. And since 1714, the architect actually led all the construction of the city, which became the new capital of Russia. The idea of creating a “regular city” was expressed in the development of standard designs for residential buildings and certain rules for the development of streets and squares. Trezzini developed house designs for different classes: for “mean” people, from the low class, the wealthy and the eminent. Almost simultaneously with the construction of the Winter Palace, piles began to be driven in for the construction of the Summer Palace. Trezzini built it according to the standard design of houses for eminent people. The building, which has survived to this day, is now a decoration of the Summer Garden. A striking monument of architecture of the Peter the Great era is the building of the Twelve Colleges - the first stone government building in the new capital. For the best architectural solution, the tsar even announced the first competition in Russia. As a result, the projects of Trezzini and Schwertfeger were adopted, and Trezzini was entrusted with the management of construction.

Trezzini did not have time to complete the construction. He died on February 19, 1734 and was buried at Sampsonievskoye Cemetery in St. Petersburg. And the building of the Twelve Collegiums was completed by his best student, Mikhail Grigorievich Zemtsov. In 1995, the square at the exit from the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge, between the 5th and 6th lines, was named after him - Piazza Domenico Trezzini. Here, on Universitetskaya Embankment, at No. 21, was his own house, built in 1723-1727.

Domenico Andrea Trezzini was born in 1670 in the small, cozy Swiss town of Astano. None of his family were famous for their wealth. But above the entrance to the house a polished shield with a noble coat of arms shone proudly. In the second half of the 17th century, there were two main artistic centers on the Apennine Peninsula - Rome and Venice. For the poor Domenico, Venice was closer and therefore more accessible.
Trezzini's years of study coincided with the years of Venice's last triumph. Venetian art, which more carefully preserved the great traditions of the Renaissance, is also flourishing.

It was necessary to earn a living, and Domenico goes to Copenhagen. But he did not find work in Denmark either. King Christian V dreamed of creating powerful fortifications around his capital. Apparently, having heard about this, Domenico hurried north, hoping to receive an order. But when I got to Copenhagen, I saw a different ruler on the throne. The new king, Frederick IV, had no intention of building anything. And again Trezzini is forced to look for work for his daily bread.

Fortunately, in 1703, Tsar Peter needed a fortress builder. The time has not yet come to freely and calmly build a city and a port. First, it was necessary to retain the conquered lands and strengthen them. It was Domenico that Peter needed now. He was listed as the “architectonic chief” in the construction of fortresses.
On April 1, 1703, Andrei Izmailov, the Russian ambassador to the court of the Danish king Frederick IV, “made an agreement with Mr. Trezin,” a native of the canton of Tessin (in Southern Switzerland): “I promise Mr. Trezin, the chief architect, an Italian by birth, who here serves the Danish Majesty and Now he will go to Moscow to serve in the city and ward buildings.
For his art, perfect art, I promise him 20 ducats for every month in salary and then to pay him for the whole year, starting from the 1st day of April 1703, and then he will have to pay him in full for each month, with appropriate and current money, according to the same price, as they go across the sea, that is, at a price of 6 Lyubsky and every red piece, and in the Danish land such a price should be had.
I also promise the named Trecin, as I have clearly demonstrated my skill and artistry, to increase his salary.
I also promise the named Trecinus that he will not want to serve any longer, or if the air is extremely cruel to his health, harmful, he will be free to go wherever he wants.
The named one also happens to be given 60 efimki, at the same price as in Danish land, for the ascent to Moscow and that money cannot be put into his account, but since he no longer wants to serve, again only give him enough for the ascent from Moscow and he is free to take it with him , what will he make here, and whether he will be ill for a while, let alone give him a salary ... "

The contract for the architect Trezzini came in handy; the salary offered by Izmailov - a thousand Russian rubles - seemed like fabulous wealth. It was almost three times the salary of the bombardier-captain, whose position was filled by the tsar.

Trezzini's first building in Russia - Fort Kronshlot - has not survived to this day. Unfortunately, neither its model nor the drawings survived. But several engravings from that time remain, and from them one can imagine what the powerful fortification that rose in the middle of the bay looked like. A squat octagonal tower, studded with cannons all around. The tower is the sister of the slender and tall octagonal bell towers of Russian churches. Only expanded in breadth as if under the weight of numerous guns.

Two months after the consecration of Kronshlot, on July 12, the Swedish squadron appeared on the horizon. The continuous bombardment continued for two days. But the fort withstood the shelling without suffering much damage. True, the Swedish ships were not damaged, but they did not risk breaking through to the mouth. It was a Russian victory. Tsar Peter could triumph. Trezzini was also happy. He proved that he knows how to work and can benefit the Russian Tsar.

In the summer of 1704, Peter summoned him to Narva. It was necessary to quickly strengthen the fortress walls and bastions broken by cannonballs, build barracks for soldiers, and cellars for military supplies. Trezzini had to deal with all this. There, the architect erected a massive and solemn triumphal gate made of stone. The king liked the gate. The architect received the sovereign's approval. And the gate was nicknamed “Petrovsky”. Foreigners were allowed into the city only through them. Let them see the monument to Russian glory and power. Unfortunately, neither the gate nor its drawings have survived to this day. The architect himself later recalled his life in Narva without much joy.

At the end of the summer of 1705, Trezzini finally returned to the banks of the Neva to build the city. He was to be responsible for the main Russian citadel on the Baltic, for the Peter and Paul Fortress, without which St. Petersburg is unthinkable today.
The year 1706 was a special year in Trezzini’s life, a turning point. The architect's path to the future began with him. Even in winter, the sovereign ordered the reconstruction of the earthen Peter and Paul fortification in stone and brick to begin, so that its future crimson-red bastions would become a symbol of Russia’s eternal standing on the Baltic coast.

This great and powerful structure, with its mighty walls, forever fenced off Trezzini from Europe and forced him to live until his death in Russia. The architect will devote twenty-eight years to this main work of his life. Already in old age, all lists of his works will invariably begin with the phrase: “The first of the main works is the St. Petersburg fortification, which has been built with a stone building since 1706...”

The scale of the undertaking, the need for craftsmen and building materials required a new attitude to business. It was necessary to prepare and deliver a lot of slab stone for the foundation, hundreds and hundreds of thousands of bricks, selected lime, and timber at the right time. To ensure the timely fulfillment of all needs, Peter created a special Office of City Affairs. At its head he put the efficient, efficient Ulyan Akimovich Senyavin. And Trezzini, who received the order to build a stone fortification, actually became his right hand.
Later, the office would become in charge of the construction of the sovereign's houses, and then the entire layout of St. Petersburg. So gradually, little by little, Trezzini will become the person who will be responsible to the king for the external appearance of the city. But this is in the future. In the meantime, one concern: fortress.

By the summer of 1708, stone powder magazines had already been built in the fortress, the construction of barracks began, laying out two bastions in brick - Menshikov and Golovkin - and the curtains between them. Then they built a gate. Trezzini first built them from wood.
On April 4, 1714, the sovereign ordered “not to build wooden structures along the Bolshaya Neva and large channels.” At the same time, it was ordered to build the Petrovsky Gate in stone. By that time, they had already learned about large deposits of granite near Serdobol (now Sortavala). In any case, in 1715 the construction of the stone gate was in full swing.

On the fifteen-meter thickness of the fortress wall, Trezzini applied decoration from niches, pilasters, volutes and rusticated stone. And the sharply protruding cornice seems to continue the upper edge of the wall and divides the decoration into two unequal parts. The lower one is massive, covered with roughly cut stones. Powerful pilasters along the edges of the structure and on both sides of the entrance arch restrain its expansion in width. Between the pilasters there are niches for the statues of Pallas Athena, the victorious warrior, and Athena Polias, the patroness of the city. The upper part, above the cornice, consists of a rectangle - an attic, topped with a rounded arched pediment. Massive volutes support it and connect it with the horizontal of the fortress wall.

The attic is decorated with a symbolic bas-relief “The Overthrow of Simon the Magus by the Apostle Peter.” On the pediment and volutes there are relief compositions of helmets, armor, and fanfares. There is a feeling of strength and military triumph throughout.
By the end of the summer of 1716, the construction of the gate was completed on September 23, Trezzini reported: “The figures have been placed on the gate, and the plastering work is being completed.”
By that time, stone palaces had appeared in the capital, the fortification was being rebuilt in stone, but there was no stone temple yet. And on May 3, exactly six years after the start of the reconstruction of the fortress, instead of the old wooden church, a new stone one was laid in the name of Peter and Paul. And the king ordered Trezzini to build the temple. By mid-1716, the model of the monastery and all the drawings were ready.
The model, alas, has not survived. But in the same year, the artist Zubov, engraving his famous “Panorama of St. Petersburg,” depicted the monastery on a separate sheet, as if it had already been built.

Brick-red, with white portals, the Trezzini ensemble was sharply different from ancient Russian monasteries, covered with formidable fortress walls. In terms of scale, in terms of solemn, strict elegance, Russia has never known such buildings. And Peter, admiring the model, readily approved of it. His new capital was acquiring a worthy structure.
From Trezzini’s original design, only the crimson-red buildings with white decor on both sides of the cathedral and the Church of the Annunciation, facing the Neva, remained in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

The office reported to the Tsar on August 2, 1717: “The bell tower of the Holy Church of Peter and Paul is all decorated with stone... and the spitz is tied.” This means that the clock will be set soon. They can make it in time for the arrival of the monarch. Tired, exhausted, Trezzini hurries the craftsmen. He does not take care of himself and does not spare others. The construction of the bell tower was completed mainly by the autumn of 1720. Only the spire remained uncovered by sheets of gilded copper. The powerful rectangular base seems to emphasize the unimaginable heaviness of the entire structure. And only the pilasters slightly enliven its gloomy severity, and in front of the entrance a small portico with eight columns seems to be artificially attached to the western wall. And two niches at the edges of the facade emphasize the thickness of the masonry.

Resting on a massive base, a three-tiered quadrangular tower rises upward. Its first, lower, floor seemed to expand in breadth under the weight of the upper two. But he is held back on the sides by powerful volutes. With their curls they rest on the outer pilasters of the western side of the base. The same volutes restrain the expansion of the second tier, which is possible under the weight of the third. And again large stone curls lie on the outer pilasters
first tier.

The third tier of the tower rushes upward. It is crowned with a gilded octagonal roof with four round windows in massive white stone frames. In the windows are the black dials of the main clock of the state. Above the roof is a slender, graceful octagon, cut through by narrow vertical openings. Above him is a tall, also octagonal, golden crown. And on it, instead of a traditional cross or diamond, there is a thin, slender turret - the base of a sparkling needle spire. And at the very top is an angel with a cross in his hand. From the ground to the top of the cross is 112 meters. 32 meters taller than Ivan the Great.

Only on an August day in 1720 did the clock in the bell tower begin to play. New, unusual music began to sound over St. Petersburg. And she swam over the river, exciting and surprising the inhabitants. Thirty-five large and small bells, starting from half past twelve, filled the area with their melodic chime. Pyotr Alekseevich rejoiced. Another dream has come true. And he immediately expressed a desire to climb the bell tower, inspect the clock mechanism, and at the same time look around his city from above.

The Emperor and his entourage arrived at the fortress on the morning of August 21. The brave sentries threw back their guns. The commandant, saluting with his sword, shouted the report. And then Trezzini, in his best camisole, stepped towards the king. And he, throwing out a short “show me!” as he walked, strode forward widely. With each tier, slightly slowing down his agility, the sovereign rose to the very top. Taking a breath, he looked back and froze in joyful delight. A large city stretches out like an oval below...
After the completion of the bell tower, the temple itself was completed, completed and decorated for another ten years.

The Peter and Paul Cathedral, built later, gave a new look to the Peter and Paul Fortress and the whole of St. Petersburg. Kamerunker F. Berchholz wrote in 1721: “The fortress church... is the largest and most beautiful in St. Petersburg; it has a high bell tower in a new style, covered with copper, brightly gilded sheets, which are unusually beautiful in bright sunlight... The chimes on the bell tower are as large and good as those in Amsterdam, and they say they cost 55,000 rubles. They are played every morning from 11 to 12 o’clock, in addition, every half hour and hour they also play by themselves, driven by a large iron machine with a copper shaft...”

Trezzini's creation - the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral with its shining spire - remains the main distinctive feature of St. Petersburg.

But Trezzini worked not only on the creation of the Peter and Paul Fortress. In the spring of 1710, in the middle of the courtyard of the present Hermitage Theater, they began to beat piles for the first stone Winter House. This house has not survived to this day; its drawings and model, executed by Trezzini, have not survived. But documents about its structure and Alexei Zubov’s engraving “Winter Palace” have survived, from which one can judge the tsar’s requirements and the architect’s capabilities.

An extensive, three-story building with thirteen windows in a row. The lower, high basement floor was where supplies were stored and servants lived. The top two were occupied by the sovereign's family. The right and left sides of the house (each two windows wide) are sharply pushed forward. These are risalits. The center of the building, three windows wide, is also highlighted. It protrudes the length of a brick. Wide staircases lead to the front door on both sides. Six lanterns on high masts illuminate them at night. On both sides of the house there are service buildings stretching into the depths of the yard. Between them and the house there are gates with baroque pediments, on which ships with wind-filled sails are frozen.
The palace was built from good quality red brick - oblong, flat and strong. But at the request of the king, it was painted white, with gilded window frames and architectural details. A sort of dandy under a heavy leaden sky among swamp mud and crooked undergrowth.

The construction of the sovereign's Winter House was completed in the fall of 1711. The king was pleased. Trezzini pleased him and thereby strengthened his position.
Trezzini was not just an architect at the Office of City Affairs. He actually became the tsar's right hand in all construction matters in St. Petersburg: the fortress, palaces, powder magazines, cathedrals, allocating space for the construction of private houses, monitoring their beauty. And finally, the harbors. Everything had to be done with care and precision.

It was not for nothing that on June 23, 1719, Peter issued a decree:
“Announce all sorts of ranks to the people who are building... along the banks of the Neva River and along the canals by decree of the chamber, which will henceforth be built by decree, and to those people at those of their chambers to make harbors in the same way as was done on the Admiralty Island along the bank of the great Neva River , opposite the house of Fedosei Sklyaev, but to make one harbor for two houses, as the architect Trezin will show.”

St. Petersburg even today carefully preserves the signs of the urban planning activities of Domenico Trezzini. One of them is the area from the upper reaches of the Fontanka to the east with its clear, straight lines of the current streets of Voinova, Kalyaev, Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Lavrov, Pestel. Back in 1712, the sovereign ordered the architect to make a drawing according to which “on the First line to build a stone or mud hut, and a wooden one at the back,” so that the bank of the Neva would look elegant and representative.

The second sign is the graphic grid of avenues and lines of Vasilyevsky Island. Perhaps, in terms of the scope of construction, the effort expended, the scale of plans, this is the main work in Trezzini’s life. More significant than the Peter and Paul Fortress. Although the latter demanded from the architect his whole life.

The country's highest institutions are called upon to act in concert, in unbreakable unity. And their houses should stand tightly pressed to each other, like twin brothers, shoulder to shoulder. And Peter ordered Trezzini to build the building of the College. Having formed a line, the twelve “brothers” stretched their front to 383 meters, almost touching the future Mytny Dvor with their left flank. Each building has its own main entrance. Own roof. High, hipped with a fracture. Very typical for the first quarter of the 18th century.

The first floor of the building is a gallery, where instead of columns there are massive rusticated pylons - wide rectangular pillars. The outermost ones are slightly wider than the others, and they have niches for statues. The second and third floors are smooth. Only pilasters between the windows. There are double pilasters at the corners. They are like a strict frame of the visual boundaries of an architectural work. Each building has eleven axes - eleven windows in length. The central part of the three windows protrudes slightly forward. This is a risalit. It’s as if an unknown force, trying to emphasize the splendor of the entrance, pushes it out.
The “movement” of the wall forward or backward from the main line of the facade is one of the most characteristic features of the Baroque style. In the first half of the 18th century, architects working in Russia very often used this technique.

The entrance to the College is always in the center of the building. Overhanging it is a second-floor balcony with a beautiful wrought-iron lattice. And on the roof, above the risalit, there is an elegant pediment with curvilinear outlines, as required by the Baroque style. The middle of the pediment - the tympanum - is decorated with a stucco image of the College emblem. And on the slopes lie mythological figures carved from white stone.
The unprecedented length of the building, the mesmerizing rhythm of risalits and pediments, pilasters and pylons, the rich relationship of red with white - everything gave the “Twelve Collegiums” an impressive, solemn appearance and aroused the amazement of contemporaries.

Much later, the architectural historian M. Johansen, paying tribute to the architect, wrote: “Although Trezzini’s entire plan was not realized, nevertheless, the buildings erected according to his designs during the 18th century not only determined the appearance of Strelka, but had a clear influence on the layout and architectural design individual buildings being erected. Thus, the module for planning the square on Strelka in the 1760s, proposed by A. Kvasov, was a distance of 15 fathoms - the size of the “building” of the colleges, and the height of the same building was taken as the height standard. There is no doubt that the arcade motif... influenced the appearance of two buildings erected along the northern border of the square according to Quarenghi's designs... Everything... testifies to the great significance of this work by Trezzini not only for Peter's Petersburg, but also for subsequent times... In terms of its significance and scale, this concern should to be, undoubtedly, ranked among the most important creative ideas not only of Trezzini, but also of Russian architecture in general of that time.”

The construction of the building lasted for many years, from 1722 to 1734, the year of the architect’s death.
Trezzini came to Russia alone. He left his first wife in Astano. In St. Petersburg, Domenico - probably in 1708 or 1709 - married a second time. Giovanni Battista Zinetti, who in 1729 worked under Trezzini and lived in his house after returning to his homeland, said that the architect was married three times. He did not mention the name of his second wife. I only knew her son Peter. Third wife - Maria Carlotta. From her the architect had sons Joseph, Joachim, George, Matthew and daughter Katarina. In the first years of his stay in St. Petersburg, Trezzini settled next to the Greek settlement. He walked in German. He had no rank. Knee-length caftan made of blue cloth with large cuffs and spacious patch pockets. There is a strict silver braid on the collar and along the sides. Short pants of the same cloth down to the knees. Under the caftan there is a light short camisole without folds or a collar. During the day, boots - climbing around a construction site. In the evening - on a visit or to an assembly - stockings and shoes.

The foreign inhabitants of the Greek settlement elected Domenico as the headman of their parish. No one knew better than Trezzini how to resolve complex issues and reconcile quarreling neighbors.
In addition to the family, sixteen to eighteen men always lived in the house. Documents have been preserved that list everyone who was under Trezzini and lived with him: ten students, a clerk, a copyist and six orderlies for parcels. Own large office.

In the fall of 1717, having barely returned from Europe, Pyotr Alekseevich ordered Trezzini to build a “model” house for the wealthy on the banks of the Bolshaya Neva, on Vasilyevsky Island, and to settle in it himself as a public example of how convenient and beautiful such housing was. The king indicated the place for the house at the corner of the Twelfth Line. Trezzini built the house, but apparently never lived in it. Peter gave the house to Baron Osterman.
However, having selected the finished mansions, the king orders: “...Build him Trezina from the treasury... a stone house in the Galan style... in 2 bricks.” But, as they say, the king has mercy, but the huntsman has no mercy. Officials, without personal interest, were in no hurry to complete the task assigned, and the construction of the architect’s house dragged on for years.

Trezzini, in order to manage his affairs well and on time, really needed assistants and faithful students. And Tsar Peter wanted a foreigner to teach future Russian architects. So their interests coincided. Young people came to the house on the banks of the Moika River, obliged to study architectural art.
One of the first to settle with Trezzini was the recent minister of the provincial chancellery, Mikhail Zemtsov. He arrived at the behest of the sovereign to better study the Italian language. But it turned out that he loves architecture and understands the construction business. What is this: a coincidence or the insight of Tsar Peter?
If Domenico Trezzini had not built anything in St. Petersburg, but had only trained the first talented Russian architect, then this would be enough to remain in the memory of grateful descendants. Many experienced assistant architects - Gezels - came out of the Trezzini school: Vasily Zaitsev, Grigory Nesmeyanov, Nikita Nazimov, Danila Elchaninov, Fyodor Okulov. The master did not bury his talent in the ground. He gave it entirely for the benefit of Russia - his new homeland.

Based on the book by D. Samin “100 Great Architects”

100 great architects Samin Dmitry

DOMENICO TRESINI (c. 1670-1734)

DOMENICO TRESINI

(c. 1670-1734)

In the second half of the 17th century, there were two main artistic centers on the Apennine Peninsula - Rome and Venice. For the poor Domenico, Venice was closer and therefore more accessible. The path from Astano to Venice lay through Milan and Borona. The famous Vitruvius, the author of the treatise “Ten Books on Architecture”, in which he summarized the experience of Greek and Roman architecture, was once born here. Trezzini could not help but linger here. The birthplace of the great Master and Teacher is the goal of pilgrimage for every young man who dreams of becoming an architect.

Trezzini's years of study coincided with the years of Venice's last triumph. Venetian art, which more carefully preserved the great traditions of the Renaissance, is also flourishing.

Returning home, Domenico married Giovanna di Veitis. He settled with his wife in a house not far from the main square of his hometown. Like every man, Domenico dreamed of a son, a successor to the family. And girls were born - first Felicia Thomasina, then Maria Lucia Thomasina. It was necessary to earn a living, and Domenico goes to Copenhagen, alone. Nothing is known about Giovanna's fate. And Domenico will meet his second daughter only twenty-one years later.

But he did not find work in Denmark either. King Christian V dreamed of creating powerful fortifications around his capital. Apparently, having heard about this, Domenico hurried north, hoping to receive an order. But when I got to Copenhagen, I saw a different ruler on the throne. The new king, Frederick IV, had no intention of building anything. And again Trezzini is forced to look for work for his daily bread.

On April 1, 1703, Andrei Izmailov, the Russian ambassador to the court of the Danish king Frederick IV, “made an agreement with Mr. Trezin,” a native of the canton of Tessin (in Southern Switzerland):

“I promise Mr. Tretsin, the chief architect, an Italian by birth, who here serves the Danish Majesty and will now go to Moscow to serve in the city and ward building.

For his art, perfect art, I promise him 20 ducats for every month in salary and then to pay him for the whole year, starting from the 1st day of April 1703, and then he will have to pay him in full for each month, with appropriate and current money, according to the same price, as they go across the sea, that is, at a price of 6 Lyubsky and every red piece, and in the Danish land such a price should be had.

I also promise the named Trecin, as I have clearly demonstrated my skill and artistry, to increase his salary.

I also promise the named Trecinus that he will not want to serve any longer, or if the air is extremely cruel to his health, harmful, he will be free to go wherever he wants.

The named one also happens to be given 60 efimki, at the same price as in Danish land, for the ascent to Moscow and that money cannot be put into his account, but since he no longer wants to serve, again only give him enough for the ascent from Moscow and he is free to take it with him , what will he make here and whether he will still be ill for a while, let alone give him a salary ... "

In the last days of June 1703, Trezzini, together with other people who decided to serve Tsar Peter, boarded the ship. The trading schooner, taking a fair wind into its sails, set course from Copenhagen along the coast of Norway to the distant northern Arkhangelsk.

Trezzini's first building in Russia, Fort Kronshlot, has not survived to this day. Unfortunately, neither its model nor the drawings survived. But several engravings from that time remain, and from them one can imagine what the powerful fortification that rose in the middle of the bay looked like. A squat octagonal tower, studded with cannons all around. The tower is the sister of the slender and tall octagonal bell towers of Russian churches. Only expanded in breadth as if under the weight of numerous guns.

There, the architect erected a massive and solemn triumphal gate made of stone. The king liked the gate. The architect received the sovereign's approval. And the gate was nicknamed “Petrovsky”. Foreigners were allowed into the city only through them. Let them see the monument to Russian glory and power. Unfortunately, neither the gate nor its drawings have survived to this day. The architect himself later recalled his life in Narva without much joy.

The year 1706 was a special year in Trezzini’s life, a turning point. The architect's path to the future began with him. Even in winter, the sovereign ordered the reconstruction of the earthen Peter and Paul fortification in stone and brick to begin, so that its future crimson-red bastions would become a symbol of Russia’s eternal standing on the Baltic coast.

Later, the office would become in charge of the construction of the sovereign's houses, and then the entire layout of St. Petersburg. So gradually, little by little, Trezzini will become the person who will be responsible to the king for the external appearance of the city. But this is in the future. In the meantime, one concern: fortress.

On April 4, 1714, the sovereign ordered “not to build wooden structures along the Bolshaya Neva and large channels.” At the same time, it was ordered to build the Petrovsky Gate in stone. By that time, they had already learned about large deposits of granite near Serdobol (now Sortavala). In any case, in 1715 the construction of the stone gate was in full swing.

The lower one is massive, covered with roughly cut stones. Powerful pilasters along the edges of the structure and on both sides of the entrance arch restrain its expansion in width. Between the pilasters there are niches for the statues of Pallas Athena, the victorious warrior, and Athena Polias, the patroness of the city.

The upper part, above the cornice, consists of a rectangle - an attic, topped with a rounded arched pediment. Massive volutes support it and connect it with the horizontal of the fortress wall.

By the end of the summer of 1716, the construction of the gate was completed on September 23, Trezzini reported: “The figures have been placed on the gate, and the plastering work is being completed.”

By that time, stone palaces had appeared in the capital, the fortification was being rebuilt in stone, but there was no stone temple yet. And on May 3, exactly six years after the start of the reconstruction of the fortress, instead of the old wooden church, a new stone one was laid in the name of Peter and Paul. And the king ordered Trezzini to build the temple.

Many months of intense thinking, working in fits and starts, during hours free from everyday hassles on construction sites and in the Office. Difficult but happy hours of true creativity. Most likely, by mid-1716 the model of the monastery and all the drawings were ready.

The model, alas, has not survived. But in the same year, the artist Zubov, engraving his famous “Panorama of St. Petersburg,” depicted the monastery on a separate sheet, as if it had already been built.

From Trezzini’s original design, only the crimson-red buildings with white decor on both sides of the cathedral and the Church of the Annunciation, facing the Neva, remained in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery.

The powerful rectangular base seems to emphasize the unimaginable heaviness of the entire structure. And only the pilasters slightly enliven its gloomy severity, and in front of the entrance a small portico with eight columns seems to be artificially attached to the western wall. And two niches at the edges of the facade emphasize the thickness of the masonry.

Resting on a massive base, a three-tiered quadrangular tower rises upward. Its first, lower, floor seemed to expand in width under the weight of the upper two. But he is held back on the sides by powerful volutes. With their curls they rest on the outer pilasters of the western side of the base.

The same volutes restrain the expansion of the second tier, which is possible under the weight of the third. Once again, large stone scrolls lie on the outermost pilasters of the first tier.

Above the roof is a slender, graceful octagon, cut through by narrow vertical openings. Above him is a tall, also octagonal, golden crown. And on it, instead of a traditional cross or diamond, there is a thin, slender turret - the base of a sparkling needle-spire. And at the very top is an angel with a cross in his hand. From the ground to the top of the cross is 112 meters. 32 meters taller than Ivan the Great.

Pyotr Alekseevich rejoiced. Another dream has come true. And he immediately expressed a desire to climb the bell tower, inspect the clock mechanism, and at the same time look around his city from above.

With each tier, slightly slowing down his agility, the sovereign rose to the very top. Taking a breath, he looked back and froze in joyful delight. A large city stretches out like an oval below...

After the completion of the bell tower, the temple itself was completed, completed and decorated for another ten years.

The Peter and Paul Cathedral, built later, gave a new look to the Peter and Paul Fortress and the whole of St. Petersburg. Chamber-junker F. Berchholz wrote in 1721: “The fortress church... is the largest and most beautiful in St. Petersburg; it has a high bell tower in a new style, covered with copper, brightly gilded sheets, which are unusually beautiful in bright sunlight... The chimes on the bell tower are as large and good as those in Amsterdam, and they say they cost 55,000 rubles. They are played every morning from 11 to 12 o’clock, in addition, every half hour and hour they also play by themselves, driven by a large iron machine with a copper shaft...”

Trezzini's creation - the bell tower of the Peter and Paul Cathedral with its shining spire - remains the main distinctive feature of St. Petersburg.

The palace was built from good quality red brick - oblong, flat and strong. But at the request of the king, it was painted white, with gilded window frames and architectural details. A sort of dandy under a heavy leaden sky among swamp mud and crooked undergrowth.

The construction of the sovereign's Winter House was completed in the fall of 1711. The king was pleased. Trezzini pleased him and thereby strengthened his position.

Trezzini was not just an architect at the Office of City Affairs. He actually became the tsar's right hand in all construction matters in St. Petersburg: the fortress, palaces, powder magazines, cathedrals, allocating space for the construction of private houses, monitoring their beauty. And finally, the harbors. Everything had to be done with care and precision.

“Announce all sorts of ranks to the people who are building... along the banks of the Neva River and along the canals by decree of the chamber, which will henceforth be built by decree, and to those people at those of their chambers to make harbors in the same way as was done on the Admiralty Island along the bank of the great Neva River , opposite the house of Fedosei Sklyaev, but to make one harbor for two houses, as the architect Trezin will show.”

St. Petersburg even today carefully preserves the signs of the urban planning activities of Domenico Trezzini. One of them is the area from the upper reaches of the Fontanka to the east with its clear, straight lines of the current streets of Voinova, Kalyaev, Tchaikovsky, Pyotr Lavrov, Pestel. Back in 1712, the sovereign ordered the architect to make a drawing according to which “on the First line to build stone or mud huts, and a wooden one at the back,” so that the bank of the Neva would look elegant and representative.

The second sign is the graphic grid of avenues and lines of Vasilyevsky Island. Perhaps, in terms of the scale of construction, the effort expended, the scale of plans, this is the main work in Trezzini’s life. More significant than the Peter and Paul Fortress. Although the latter demanded from the architect his whole life.

The “movement” of the wall forward or backward from the main line of the facade is one of the most characteristic features of the Baroque style. In the first half of the 18th century, architects working in Russia very often used this technique.

The entrance to the College is always in the center of the building. Overhanging it is a second-floor balcony with a beautiful wrought-iron lattice. And on the roof, above the projection, there is an elegant pediment with curvilinear outlines, as required by the Baroque style. The middle of the pediment - the tympanum - is decorated with a stucco image of the College emblem. And on the slopes lie mythological figures carved from white stone.

The unprecedented length of the building, the mesmerizing rhythm of risalits and pediments, pilasters and pylons, the rich relationship of red with white - everything gave the “Twelve Colleges” an impressive, solemn appearance and generated amazement of contemporaries.

The construction of the building lasted for many years, from 1722 to 1734, the year of the architect’s death.

Trezzini came to Russia alone. He left his first wife in Astano. In St. Petersburg, Domenico - probably in 1708 or 1709 - married a second time. Giovanni Battista Zinetti, who in 1729 worked under Trezzini and lived in his house after returning to his homeland, said that the architect was married three times. He did not mention the name of his second wife. I only knew her son Peter. Third wife: Maria Carlotta. From her the architect had sons Joseph, Joachim, George, Matthew and daughter Katarina. In the first years of his stay in St. Petersburg, Trezzini settled next to the Greek settlement. He walked in German. He had no rank. Knee-length caftan made of blue cloth with large cuffs and spacious patch pockets. There is a strict silver braid on the collar and along the sides. Short pants of the same cloth down to the knees. Under the caftan there is a light short camisole without folds or a collar. During the day, boots are used to climb construction sites. In the evening - on a visit or to an assembly - stockings and shoes.

The foreign inhabitants of the Greek settlement elected Domenico as the headman of their parish. No one knew better than Trezzini how to resolve complex issues and reconcile quarreling neighbors.

In addition to the family, sixteen to eighteen men always lived in the house. Documents have been preserved that list everyone who was under Trezzini and lived with him: ten students, a clerk, a copyist and six orderlies for parcels. Own large office.

However, having selected the finished mansions, the king orders: “...Build him Trezina from the treasury... a stone house in the Galan style... in 2 bricks.” But, as they say, the king has mercy, but the huntsman has no mercy. Officials, without personal interest, were in no hurry to complete the task assigned, and the construction of the architect’s house dragged on for years.

One of the first to settle with Trezzini was the recent minister of the provincial chancellery, Mikhail Zemtsov. He arrived at the behest of the sovereign to better study the Italian language. But it turned out that he loves architecture and understands the construction business. What is this: a coincidence or the insight of Tsar Peter?

If Domenico Trezzini had not built anything in St. Petersburg, but had only trained the first talented Russian architect, then this would be enough to remain in the memory of grateful descendants. Quite a few experienced assistant architects - Gezels - came out of the Trezzini school: Vasily Zaitsev, Grigory Nesmeyanov, Nikita Nazimov, Danila Elchaninov, Fyodor Okulov. The master did not bury his talent in the ground. He gave everything for the good of Russia - his new homeland.

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Domenico Andrea Trezzini was not only the architect of the Peter and Paul Cathedral - for almost thirty years he actually led the construction of the new Russian capital - St. Petersburg.

Domenico Andrea Trezzini is an architect and famous historical figure.

Domenico Trezzini born (around 1670) and raised in the Swiss village of Astano near Lugano, predominantly populated by Italians. Since ancient times, in these parts there have been a large number of art and craft schools, where young people received general and vocational education. One of them was completed by the young Domenico Trezzini.

After this, he went to Venice, where he studied architecture, and in 1699 he came to Denmark to work at the court of King Frederick IV. There he was noticed by the Russian ambassador Andrei Izmailov and invited the architect to Russia. In June 1703, Trezzini went to serve Peter I. The Emperor honored him with an audience.

Domenico Trezzini architect of St. Petersburg

The Tsar liked the Italian so much that he immediately received the rank of manager of the Chancellery of the building of St. Petersburg. Peter I needed just such a person: a practical builder, engineer and fortifier.

They concluded an agreement with Trezzini, assigning him a salary of 1000 rubles a year, which was a huge amount of money for that time. The architect intended to work in Russia for one year; the contract specifically stipulated that if the St. Petersburg air turned out to be “extremely cruel to his health,” then he would be free to “go wherever he wanted.” Fate, however, decreed that Trezzini remained in Russia until the end of his days.

The first building of Domenico Trezzini in Russia has not survived to this day, but it is known that the fortification was able to withstand the continuous bombardment of the Swedish squadron in the summer of 1704.

Soon Peter summoned Domenico Trezzini to Narva, where it was necessary to quickly strengthen the fortress walls and bastions, build barracks for soldiers and cellars for military supplies.

A year later, the architect returned to St. Petersburg and began construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress and his main creations.

In 1710, Domenico Trezzini took over the first, which was located on the site of the current Hermitage Theater. Unfortunately, we can judge the appearance of this three-story building only from ancient engravings. It was quite spacious, built of flat brick and resembled the Menshikov Palace in its layout - the lower floor was reserved for warehouses and servants' rooms, and the emperor and his family lived in the upper floors. Peter wanted to swim to the palace by water, but the building was some distance from the Neva, and then a canal was dug between the Neva and the Moika, called the Winter Canal.

The first Winter Palace very soon became too small for the sovereign, and in 1716 construction of a new palace began. G.I. Mattarnovi was appointed chief architect, but due to his death, he did not have time to complete the work. Domenico Trezzini did it for him.

A few years earlier, the architect developed a model according to which they began to build it, but Trezzini’s plan was not fully realized - only the right wing of the monastery and the Church of the Annunciation were built according to his drawings. At the same time, the architect also developed standard - “exemplary” - designs for residential buildings: for eminent, wealthy and ordinary people.

In the 1720s, Trezzini began building the Spit of Vasilievsky Island, which became no less significant work for him than the construction of the Peter and Paul Fortress.

The main brainchild of the architect on Vasilyevsky Island is the building of the Twelve Colleges. Trezzini proposed an ingenious composition - he arranged the buildings “in a line” almost 383 meters long, connecting them with a common corridor and an open gallery below. Each building is marked with a protruding risalit, which gives the entire building the effect of “movement,” and is covered with its own roof with a pediment. The architect was able to build a building that, without unnecessary pomp, had an impressive and, at the same time, solemn appearance.

Trezzini continued to be active after the death of Peter I. However, when she took the Russian throne in 1730, his position noticeably worsened. Lush Baroque came into fashion, and the style in which the architect worked was no longer so in demand. Trezzini was no longer involved in the construction of palaces; the construction of government buildings was left to his share.

Trezzini died in St. Petersburg on February 19, 1734. The architect was buried in the cemetery near Sampsonievsky Cathedral, but his grave, unfortunately, was not preserved.

Trezzini Dynasty

The surname Trezzini is widely known in Russia. An Italian from Switzerland, Domenico Trezzini, was the first architect of the new Northern capital. He laid the foundations of the European school in Russian architecture. Among his brainchildren are the Summer Palace of Peter I, the Peter and Paul Cathedral, the building of the Twelve Colleges, part of the regular layout of Vasilievsky Island, projects of Kronstadt and the Alexander Nevsky Lavra and much more.

His son-in-law Carlo Giuseppe was less fortunate and did not find fame for himself in Russia. Domenico, and in Russia his name was Andrei Yakimovich, was married three times. He left his first wife in Switzerland, and in this marriage two daughters were born: Felicia Thomasina and Maria Lucia Thomasina. Felicia lived her whole life in her homeland, while Maria and her husband Carlo Giuseppe went to Russia. Domenico's second wife, whose name has not been preserved by history, gave birth to his son in 1710 - Pietro Antonio, Peter Andreevich. The boy was the godson of Emperor Peter I and in 1725, by the will of the emperor, he was sent to study abroad.

Domenico's son did not return to Russia. But there was another Pietro Antonio Trezzini, who was a distant relative of Domenico, lived and worked in St. Petersburg, and in 1742-1751 also became the chief architect of the capital. These two persons are often confused due to the complete coincidence of names.

Domenico Trezzini died in 1734 as a Russian landowner and hereditary nobleman; he bequeathed his inheritance to his children from his third wife, Maria Charlotte: Giuseppe, Gioachino, Maria, Catherine and Matteo. The fate and offspring of the first four children are unknown, but the descendants of Matteo Trezzini are alive and bear the surname “Chernov” and “Leman,” as described in “Genealogical Bulletin” No. 7 of 2002, St. Petersburg edition.