Lietuvos istorijos institutas

This article is dedicated to one of the most notable late baroque architects of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Giuseppe Fontana ( Józef III, 1716 – before 1773). Being of Italian blood, architect Giuseppe Fontana was actually born in Warsaw, the capital of the Commonwealth of Both Nations, leaving a clear footprint in the culture of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Unable to establish himself in Vilnius, he moved close to Vitebsk. His choice to live and work on the north-eastern outskirts of the Commonwealth of Both Nations could have been influenced by his contacts with the influential representatives of the ruling class of Vitebsk voivodeship and also by the finding of a free space, “non monopolized” by the architects, strategically convenient geographic location and the aggregation of financially capable customers of architecture. The story of the family of Giuseppe Fontana is outstanding in the general cultural context. After settling in the Commonwealth of Both Nations at the end of the seventeenth century they shaped a peculiar dynasty of architects, which already in the first part of the eighteenth century was fully assimilated and Polonized. The professional career of father Giuseppe Giacomo (Józef II, 1676–1739/41), brothers Giacomo (Jakub, 1710–1773) and Giovanni Canzio (Jan Kanty, 1731–1800) in Warsaw and status in the royal court, professional career of uncle Domenic (Dominik, ca. 1680 – before 1755) in Grodno, all their contacts with influential aristocrats, accumulated family wealth and earned offices aided in reaching significant valuation in society and climbing the social ladder. In 1768, the Fontana family for their merits to the King was granted the status of nobility along with all respective rights, duties and privileges of the estate. The article analyses professional achievements of the Fontana family, their valuation in society and change in social status in the general context of artists and artisans. It shows, how the situation of family members and aspirations to become part of the class of nobility affected personal and professional life of Giuseppe Fontana.

The article deals with the problem of professional field of activity of an architect, the place of his profession in the system of crafts, sciences and arts, architects’ position in the society of the eighteenth century. Before the education reform undertaken by the Education Commission, architecture had not been developed into a separate subject that provided professional training in the schools of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The course in architecture was only a part of general education in Vilnius Jesuit Academy, in nobility schools of a military type, and Jesuit and Piarist Collegium Nobilium. There was not enough focus on architectural studies in these most important educational institutions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania: a short course of up to two years provided only general and technical basis of the theory of architecture based on classical orders, and it was not capable of training high ranked professionals-practitioners. Until the eighties of the 18th century, to become an independent professional architect one had to continue his studies abroad. It is argued that the Enlightenment concept of a creator serving to the state and society as well as representing them has provided an important impetus to the growth of the value of the architect’s profession and its social status. While many eighteenth-century artists were still very close to craftsmen in terms of social status (it was considered, that they used to do specific tasks and earn a living by employing manual / physical, not intellectual / mental powers), architects, due to the specifics of their education – studies at the university and military careers (they were mostly employed as engineers) were granted titles of nobility. In the eighteenth century, the social and material position of the architect-creator, who had been liberated from the crafts guild system, had evolved considerably and created conditions for privileges and for the establishment in the rank of nobility. The nobilitation of architects, who usually also had the rank of an officer and executed significant orders in large estates, intensified especially during the period of the partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Experienced architects were desired and welcome guests in the manors of the nobles. Successful architects used to invest accumulated funds in real estate and manors with land. The architect was no longer just a hired employee but became a patron himself – the one who was initiating and partly financing construction.