Jacopo Strada as an Imperial Architect: Background

Abstract

As we have seen, Emperor Ferdinand i took Jacopo Strada into his service in the spring of 1558, but only early in 1560 Strada received a permanent appointment as ‘ainem paumaister, bey unnsern gebewen alhier, that is an architect for the projects Ferdinand undertook in Vienna. He received his salary as such without interruption (though often with great delays) until he asked Rudolf ii to be discharged from his court functions in 1579.1 The mere fact of this salary, which was double the amount he received as an antiquary, is sufficient reason to assume that he was expected to contribute regularly to the architectural projects of Ferdinand i and Maximilian ii. Before attempting a sketch of the extent and character of Strada’s contribution to these it is necessary, first to inquire into the needs and wishes of his patrons; secondly, to find out how the Imperial building activities were organized and what expertise was locally available; and thirdly, to define Strada’s exact qualifications in the field. Imperial patronage of architecture was wide-ranging: the more important part of it was utilitarian and chiefly of a military character, as is borne out by the fact that the various Imperial architects, including Strada, were paid by the Hofkriegszahlamt, the war office, rather than by the Hofkammer, which was responsible for the remuneration of most other court officials. Most of these architects, master-masons and other technicians were employed predominantly or even exclusively in Hungary, constructing fortifications against the Turks. This applies also to several of the architects we know to have been employed at court itself, either in Prague or in Vienna. But fortification, though of paramount importance, was not the only type of architecture commissioned by Ferdinand i. After its heroic resistance to the Turkish siege of 1529, Ferdinand had moved his court to Vienna in 1533. Apart from protecting his hereditary dominions from the permanent menace of the Turks, he had to adapt Vienna to its new status as Imperial residence. Moreover he had to provide for his sons who, when grown up, needed their own