Baldassarre Longhena, Architect

Baldassare Longhena (1598-1682) was a Venetian baroque architect, disciple of Vincenzo Scamozzi. Upon his death, he completed the projects that his teacher had left incomplete. He began to stand out with the reconstruction of the Malipiero and Giustinian Lolin palaces. From a pre-existing building, he built the Ca' Rezzonico palace. In 1631 he was commissioned to design and build the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, his undisputed masterpiece and one of the great glories of Venetian Baroque. During the 1940s, Longhena, after designing The Vendramin Chapel in the Church of San Pietro di Castello, directed what would be another of his most famous Venetian projects: the Church of Santa Maria de Nazareth, also known as "degli Scalzi".

Also next to the Grand Canal, the magnificent Ca' Pesaro Palace is another of Longhena's masterpieces. The project was entrusted to him at the end of the 1650s, remaining unfinished at his death in 1682. Longhena cultivated civil architecture with enormous success, contributing to further enriching the city of Venice, thus continuing the company started by his admired Palladio and Sansovino.

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