J.B. Santini A.

Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel (3^rd February 1677 Prague - 7^th December 1723 Prague) was notable Czech architect of Italian origin, who became famous by his unique style called Baroque gothic.

He was born on a St. Blažej's day as the oldest son to the respectable family of a Prague stonecutter Santin Aichel and he was christened in St. Vitus Cathedral as Jan Blažej Aichel the other day. He had a inborn physical handicap – he was paralysed on a half of his body, which prevented him from successful follow-up in his father's career and take up the stonecutter's workshop after him. However he served his time of apprenticeship (same as his brother František), but he also studied painting from imperial and royal painter Kristián Schröder.

Afterwards, around 1696 he started a journey to gain experience. He travelled through Austria and arrived to Rome in Italy, where he had the possibility to meet with the work of Francesco Boromini, radical architect, considered by Roman conservative contemporaries as a "fool". In Italy, he also takes into his name his father's name Santini. In 1700 Santini independently builds, designs and has his own income, it means he is a member of one craft guilds and has his own construction company.

Santini married Schröder's daughter Veronika Alžběta in 1707. They had four children, but all three sons – Jan Norbert Lukáš (* 1707), Josef Rudolf Felix Řehoř (* 1708) and František Ignác (* 1710) – died from tuberculosis at their early age; the only child left was Anna Veronika (* 1713). Santini's wife died in 1720 and he married south Bohemian noblewoman Antonie Ignatie Chřapická from Mohliškovice and Santini was ennobled. From this marriage, daughter Jana Ludmila and son Jan Ignác Rochus were born. The godfathers of all Santini's children were members of aristocracy.

Santini picked up on the style of architect J. B. Mathey and after his death also took up some of his clients and finished some buildings. In 1705, he bought Valkounský house (no. 211) in Nerudova street for 3000 gold coins in cash. Two years later, he connected his house with adjoined building House of Golden Goblet (no. 212). He became renowned person and this is proved by the fact that in 1723 Jan Josef from Schwalbenfeld called him "highly noble rich in art Jan Santini Aichel townsman and architect of Royal Lesser Town of Prague". Unfortunately, this artist died fairly young at the age of 47 and that is why lots of his works remained unfinished.

Santini was so significant figure of baroque architecture that he had a lot of continuators and followers. To name just a few: Kilián Ignác Dientzenhofer, František Maxmilián Kaňka, Jan Ferdinand Schor, Jakub Auguston, Austrians Jakub Prandtauer, Matthias Steinl and others. These men either reconstructed or were inspired by Santini's work.

During his life, Santini created or participated in 100 projects. Some of them can be found in the neighbourhood of the Residence. Just in Nerudova street, there are three important buildings that he designed. Thunovský palace (present seat of the Italian embassy) in Nerudova Street 20 was built by Liebštejnští from Kolovraty during 1716 – 1721. Morzinský palace (present seat of the Romanian embassy) in Nerudova street 5 was built in a developed baroque style on a place of 4 medieval town houses rebuilt in renaissance that all became the property of Morzinové in 1668. Project of this reconstruction comes from Santini and was carried out during 1713 – 1714. Virgin Mary Divine Providence cathedral of St. Kajetán was built during 1691 – 1717 according to the design of J. B. Mathey next to his monastery of Kajetán's friary, however the façade of this building on a ground plan of Greek cross is from Santini.

Count Rudolf Colloredo-Wallsee got built Schönborn palace on the place of older houses, according to Santini's design and it is the seat of U.S. embassy today. The palace is made up of three two-floor buildings of different height, where each of them has a yard and also its façade. On the façade of the middle part, there is a first-floor balcony with co called French half-circle window, beyond which is a coat-of-arms of Colloredo-Wallsee. Garden, which was established as an early baroque, is a part of the palace and it was modified during 1715 – 1718 in developed baroque style. Santini worked for Church (St. Havel's cathedral, monastery of Ascension of Virgin Mary in Kladruby, pilgrimage church of St. Jan Nepomucký on the Green hill, St. Anna chapel in Panenské Břežany, Virgin Mary cathedral in Kutná Hora), but also for nobility (Šternberský palace, the contemporary place of permanent exhibition of National gallery displaying the works of European painters, Lažanských palace in the Old Town, Trauttmanndorfský palace and last but not least Zbraslav castle).