Filippo Juvarra Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Filippo Juvarra was born on 27 March 1678 in Messina. Initially, his artistic apprenticeship took place in his father's silversmith shop, which was one of the most important in the city. Read the full biography

Filippo Juvarra was born on 27 March 1678 in Messina. Initially, his artistic apprenticeship took place in his father's silversmith shop, which was one of the most important in the city. Juvarra began to express his first artistic-expressive inclinations through the creation of silver bas-reliefs following the directives of his brothers and demonstrating that he had a certain predisposition for figure drawing, which he cultivated in parallel with his religious studies to which he was destined since age of twelve. In 1703, Juvarra took his priestly vows and left for Rome to perfect himself as an architect. In this city he had the opportunity to meet the famous Ticino architect Carlo Fontana, the most important architecture teacher of the time. Thanks to Fontana's introduction, Juvarra became a member of the Accademia di San Luca, thus having the opportunity to consult the large collection of projects preserved in the master's studio. After Fontana's death on 3 July 1708, Juvarra served under Pietro Ottoboni, studying scenography. Subsequently, Juvarra arrived in Turin, where he was requested by the new king of Sicily, Vittorio Amedeo II. In 1713 he was appointed first court architect and his first project was the expansion of the Royal Palace of Messina. Juvarra died in Madrid on 31 January 1736.