Niccolò Matas


Niccolò "Nicola" Matas was an Italian architect and professor. He is best known for being the architect of the 19th century Gothic Revival façade of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. Matas was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Florence. He is one of the important architects in the history of the city of Florence.

Biography

Early life

Niccolò "Nicola" Matas was born on 6 December 1798, in Ancona, in Marche, Papal States. His family was of Spanish descent, but not of Jewish origin, as stated in several publications without checking sources. He was instead Christian Catholic. He studied at Academy of Fine Arts, Rome ; followed by study at the Academy of Fine Arts, Venice and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vicenza.

Career

In 1825, Matas moved to Florence, where he was an academic professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Florence, primarily teaching architecture. His architect contemporaries in Tuscany included Gaetano Baccani, Mariano Falcini, Emilio De Fabris, and Giuseppe Poggi. Matas worked closely with sculptor Giovanni Dupré of Gipsoteca Dupré. He had a working relationship with Anatoly Demidov, 1st Prince of San Donato.
From 1857 to 1863, he worked on the design of the façade of the Basilica of Santa Croce, where he worked in a prominent Star of David into the top of the building. The design of the building was said to be influenced by a now-lost drawing by Simone del Pollaiolo, named "il Cronaca". He is also thought to have been inspired by the Siena Cathedral and Orvieto Cathedral. At the same time he was working on the restoration of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, Pisa and the plan of the monumental cimitero delle Porte Sante at San Miniato al Monte, Florence.
Matas died in Florence on 11 March 1872. His body was moved in 1886, and Matas is buried under the porch at the Basilica of Santa Croce.

Works

New buildings or new portions of buildings