Giacomo della Porta

Giacomo della Porta (1533–1602) was an Italian architect and sculptor, likely born in Genoa or Porlezza. His style drew from Michelangelo and Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola. He began sculpting in his late twenties, later shifting to architecture. His first major architectural project in Rome was the Oratory of Santissimo Crocifisso.

Early life

In 1564, he became Architect of the Roman People, overseeing notable public and private commissions. Della Porta often completed or added to works started by other architects rather than designing entirely original projects. He was born into a family of sculptors in 1533. In 1559, he worked in his uncle Bartolomeo’s workshop, sculpting statues of the Cybo family for a chapel in Genoa Cathedral.

Influences

Between 1560 and 1561, he built his first architectural work: the portal of the Vigna Grimani on the Quirinale. Della Porta apprenticed under Guidetto Guidetti. His architecture blended Michelangelo’s Mannerism with Vignola’s Classicism, prioritizing functionality. From 1561 to 1568, he worked with Guidetti on the Oratory of Santissimo Crocifisso, where his style first matched his mentors’.

Oratory of Santissimo Crocifisso

After Guidetti and Michelangelo died in 1564, Della Porta finished their projects, including Guidetti’s Santa Caterina de' Funari and the Cesi Chapel, as well as Michelangelo’s plans for the Campidoglio and the Sforza Chapel. In June 1561, Della Porta designed plans and a façade for the Oratory of Santissimo Crocifisso for the Confraternity of the Most Holy Crucifix. The façade showed a decorative, Michelangelo-inspired style, with pediments, triglyphs, garlands, and candelabra on the lower section, and ribbon-and-garland motifs above the windows. This project boosted his reputation and led to future commissions.

The Church of Santa Caterina de' Funari

For Santa Caterina de' Funari, begun by Guidetti in 1560, Della Porta likely contributed to the façade. Similarities to his earlier work—such as ribbons, garlands, cartouches, an inscription, and a coat of arms—appeared on the façade, echoing the Oratorio di San Marcello. As Architect of the Roman People from 1564, Della Porta oversaw Capitoline works. On the Capitoline Hill, he supervised Michelangelo’s designs, adding the Palazzo dei Conservatori façade (1586), the Palazzo Senatorio’s interior and façade, and the Cordonata.