Edoardo Arborio Mella
Encyclopedia
Edoardo Arborio Mella was an Italian
architect
, restorer and scholar. Well-known at the time for his ‘stylish’ restorations of medieval buildings in Piedmont
, he has been described as ‘one of the most representative protagonists of the Gothic revival in northern Italy’.
He was born in Vercelli
to Count Carlo Emanuele Arborio Mella, who for many years was mayor of Vercelli, and Vittoria Gattinara, daughter of Ludovico count of Zubiena
. He was educated first at home. From 1820 to 1827 he attended the Collegio-Convitto del Carmine in Turin
, a Jesuit-run boarding school then popular among the Piedmontese aristocracy, where he displayed a particular talent for mathematical subjects.
In 1834 he married Adele Clotilde Olgiati, daughter of Giuseppe Alessandro Olgiati. She died five years later in 1839, having given birth to three children: Carlo Alessandro, Maria Vittoria and Federico. The last of these became an architect and archaeologist, and worked on various projects with his father.
Mella’s interest in Gothic architecture
took him to Switzerland
, France
and Germany
; there were further trips to Monaco
, Constantinople
, Venice
, Berlin
, Prague
, Budapest
, Athens
and Vienna
.
He was responsible for the nineteenth-century restoration of the Duomo
of Casale Monferrato
; the works began in 1857 and were completed in 1861. Subsequently he worked on restorations at Rosignano Monferrato
, Mirabello
, Villanova Monferrato
and of the church of Sant’Ilario in Casale.
Mella’s publications included treatises on geometry and architecture and monographs on medieval monuments. His obituary in the Salesian Bulletin of February 1884 points to two works of particular interest: Elementi di architettura archi-acuta o gotica (‘Elements of Ogival or Gothic Architecture’; 1857) and Elementi di architettura romano-bizantina, detta lombarda (‘Elements of the Romano-Byzantine Architecture called Lombard’, 1885).
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, restorer and scholar. Well-known at the time for his ‘stylish’ restorations of medieval buildings in Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
, he has been described as ‘one of the most representative protagonists of the Gothic revival in northern Italy’.
He was born in Vercelli
Vercelli
Vercelli is a city and comune of about 47,000 inhabitants in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around the year 600 BC.The city is situated on the river Sesia in the plain of the river...
to Count Carlo Emanuele Arborio Mella, who for many years was mayor of Vercelli, and Vittoria Gattinara, daughter of Ludovico count of Zubiena
Zubiena
Zubiena is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km northeast of Turin and about 13 km southwest of Biella. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,286 and an area of 12.6 km².Zubiena borders the following municipalities:...
. He was educated first at home. From 1820 to 1827 he attended the Collegio-Convitto del Carmine in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, a Jesuit-run boarding school then popular among the Piedmontese aristocracy, where he displayed a particular talent for mathematical subjects.
In 1834 he married Adele Clotilde Olgiati, daughter of Giuseppe Alessandro Olgiati. She died five years later in 1839, having given birth to three children: Carlo Alessandro, Maria Vittoria and Federico. The last of these became an architect and archaeologist, and worked on various projects with his father.
Mella’s interest in Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
took him to Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; there were further trips to Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
He was responsible for the nineteenth-century restoration of the Duomo
Duomo
Duomo is a term for a cathedral church. The formal word for a church that is presently a cathedral is cattedrale; a Duomo may be either a present or a former cathedral . Some, like the Duomo of Monza, have never been cathedrals, although old and important...
of Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato
Casale Monferrato, population 36,058, is a town and comune in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, part of the province of Alessandria. It is situated about 60 km east of Turin on the right bank of the Po, where the river runs at the foot of the Montferrato hills. Beyond the river lies the...
; the works began in 1857 and were completed in 1861. Subsequently he worked on restorations at Rosignano Monferrato
Rosignano Monferrato
Rosignano Monferrato is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km east of Turin and about 25 km northwest of Alessandria...
, Mirabello
Mirabello
-Places:Greece*Mirabello Bay, a bay in Lasithi Prefecture, CreteItaly*Mirabello, Emilia–Romagna, a comune in the Province of Ferrara*Mirabello Monferrato, a comune in the Province of Alessandria, Piedmont...
, Villanova Monferrato
Villanova Monferrato
Villanova Monferrato is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km east of Turin and about 30 km northwest of Alessandria and about 17 km south of Vercelli...
and of the church of Sant’Ilario in Casale.
Mella’s publications included treatises on geometry and architecture and monographs on medieval monuments. His obituary in the Salesian Bulletin of February 1884 points to two works of particular interest: Elementi di architettura archi-acuta o gotica (‘Elements of Ogival or Gothic Architecture’; 1857) and Elementi di architettura romano-bizantina, detta lombarda (‘Elements of the Romano-Byzantine Architecture called Lombard’, 1885).