By Anne Leader
Architect Guarino Guarini was born on 17 January 1625 in Modena. Recognized alongside Francesco Borromini as a leader in innovative, anti-classical architectural design, Guarini is known for his daringly complex domes and interiors in cities throughout northern Italy. Like many architects of his day, Guarini also theorized about architectural design, and his treatise Architettura civile would provide important inspiration for the development of late Baroque and Rococo architecture in Central Europe. A member of the Theatine Order, Guarini spent his early life in Rome where he was drawn to the work of Borromini, Gianlorenzo Bernini, and Pietro da Cortona. He lived and worked in his native Modena, Sicily, Portugal, Paris, and Turin. He died in Milan at age 59.
Reference: Peter Stein. “Guarini, Guarino.” Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press, http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T035293.
San Lorenzo, Turin, interior of the dome, begun 1668; photo credit: Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY
Chapel of the Holy Shroud (Santa Sindone), Turin Cathedral, begun 1668; section
Palazzo Carignano, Turin, 1679–83; photo credit: Scala/Art Resource, NY