Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli

Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli was an Italian-born architect who became the leading designer of grand Baroque palaces and churches in 18th-century Russia. His exuberant style combined monumental scale, elaborate ornament, and dramatic color.

Winter Palace: A vast imperial residence in Saint Petersburg, now the principal building of the State Hermitage Museum. Rastrelli designed its present Baroque form for Empress Elizabeth, making it his most prominent surviving commission.
Elizabethan Baroque: A lavish architectural style that flourished in Russia during the reign of Empress Elizabeth in the mid-18th century. Rastrelli's major commissions became its defining architectural expressions.
Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli: An Italian sculptor and architect who worked for the Russian court and was Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli's father. His court connections and artistic profession shaped the environment in which Francesco began his career.
Elizabeth of Russia: Empress of Russia from 1741 to 1762 and daughter of Peter the Great. Her patronage brought Rastrelli his most ambitious palace and church projects.
Neoclassical architecture: An architectural movement that revived the forms and principles of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Its restraint contrasted with the ornate Baroque style that had made Rastrelli famous.
Catherine Palace: An imperial summer residence in Tsarskoye Selo, famed for its blue-and-white Baroque façade and gilded interiors. Rastrelli rebuilt it for Empress Elizabeth as an extravagant showcase of court power.
Baroque architecture: A European architectural style known for dramatic movement, rich ornament, and theatrical spatial effects. Rastrelli adapted its principles to Russian court buildings and religious complexes.
Peter the Great: Tsar of Russia from 1682 and emperor from 1721, who pursued extensive political and cultural reforms. His recruitment of foreign specialists helped establish the court setting that employed Rastrelli's family.
Catherine the Great: Empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, who promoted major political and cultural projects. Her accession shifted court taste away from Rastrelli's exuberant style, contributing to his retirement.
Giacomo Quarenghi: An Italian architect who worked in Russia and became a leading designer of Neoclassical buildings. His later prominence in Saint Petersburg court architecture marks the change in taste after Rastrelli.

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