Smolniy Cathedral, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Longstanding cultural ties between Russia and Italy are evidenced by several lovely buildings constructed in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg by architects of Italian descent. Several large-scale projects were completed, primarily from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
One such project was the Theatre Square project in Moscow which includes the Bolshoi Theatre. The current theatre opened in 1825. The project was overseen by Joseph Bové, who was born in Saint Petersburg to the family of Vincenzo Giovanni Bova, a painter from Naples, who settled in Russia in 1782.
The vision that Peter the Great (Peter I) had for Saint Petersburg was to open a dialog with the rest of Europe, and that included architectural collaborations. There were several important architects of Italian descent that worked in the city to help fulfill Peter’s vision. Among the more well-known architects is Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, a French-born Russian architect of Italian descent. He moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1716, accompanying his father, Italian sculptor Carlo Bartolomeo Rastrelli. His Late Baroque architectural style put his signature on major works like the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg and the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, located in the nearby town of Pushkin. These opulent palaces were built, rebuilt, and re-furbished over time, but Rastrelli’s influence was most prominent in the late 1700’s. Another lovely building in Saint Petersburg that was constructed by Rastrelli is the Smolny Cathedral, which is situated on Rastrelli Square (Площадь Растрелли) , and is part of the Smolny Convent complex.
The influence of Italian-style architecture is certainly most prominent in Italy, but it is also quite interesting to see just how widespread that style has become throughout the world, as it has in Russia. The mix of elements from local architectural traditions along with Italian flair has produced some elegant and noteworthy buildings.