Arcangelo Guglielmelli

Arcangelo Guglielmelli (c. 1650–1723) was an Italian architect and painter, active in his native Naples, Italy, in a late-Baroque style. He was involved in the building and reconstruction of churches, many of which had been damaged by the earthquakes of 1688 and 1694.

He was born to Marcello Guglielmelli and Caterina Vera, but grew up in the house of a painter, Onofrio de Marino, whose daughter he married in March 1677. His two sons were Marcello, also an architect who worked with his father, and Gaetano, who became a novice at Santa Maria della Vita.

Early in his career, Arcangelo helped design ephemeral decorations for the frequent festivals held in Naples, such as in 1671 for the festival of San Gennaro, and 1677 for the festival of Quarantore, held by the Theatines of San Paolo Maggiore. He trained under Dionisio Lazzari.

In 1677, in the church of Gesù delle Monache, Arcangelo worked on the reconstruction of the presbytery and added a small elliptical dome to provide light, a solution he later adopted also in the church of San Antonio delle Monache a Port'Alba, where between 1682 and 1684 he provided the stucco decoration. Arcangelo worked further on the church of Gesù delle Monache in 1692.

In 1678 he worked in Santa Maria della Consolazione agli Incurabili and the chapel of San Biagio in Santa Maria della Stella. Following the earthquake of 1688 the presbytery was expanded, and an elliptical dome was added to the small church of the Cross of San Agostino. Starting from 1694 in the same church, Arcangelo in collaboration with Lorenzo Vaccaro, provided the stucco ornamentation. In 1682, Arcangelo helped design the baroque facade Santa Maria in Portico a Chiaia.

From 1690 to 1693, Arcangelo worked on the reconstruction of the church of Santa Maria del Rosario alle Pigne (Rosario al largo delle Pigne). The plan there was a pseudo-Greek cross with transverse arms shorter than longitudinal nave. He also designed the atrium (1708) with statues in niches.

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