GABRI, Pietro - b. 0 ?, d. 1585 Brno - WGA

GABRI, Pietro

(b. 0 ?, d. 1585 Brno)

Italian architect, active in Moravia. He came to Brno with his entire family (mother Ursula, wife Anna, siblings Antonio and Ursula) around 1570. Shortly after his arrival he was accepted as a burgher and mason. His first construction works were minor orders. In 1577, the city council signed a contract with him concerning the Town Hall Tower. He completed its Renaissance appearance, raised it by 5 meters, topped it with a gallery and high-pitched turrets.

In 1578, Pietro Gabri was contracted to build a new building for the Moravian Assembly and Regional Court which until that time used the Dominican monastery in Brno for their meetings. In 1582-83 Gabri built a new hall with adjacent staircase above the northern wing of the monastery. After his death, his younger brother Antonio completed the work.

From 1579 Pietro Gabri worked on the construction of the Bishop’s Court for the Olomouc bishop Stanislav Pavlovský of Pavlovice. The Gabri brothers worked on several monasteries in Brno and its surroundings. Outside Brno, Pietro Gabri’s most important work was his contribution to the Renaissance reconstruction of the chateau in Bucovice (e.g. the arcaded courtyard).

Pietro Gabri played a significant role in creating the Renaissance appearance of Brno.

Exterior view

The Castle Bucovice is a unique Italian Renaissance castle to find north of the Alps. Unlike most of the Renaissance buildings in Bohemia and Moravia, this is not a period conversion of an earlier residence, but an original project of a Late Renaissance “palazzo in fortezza” type building.

Externally, Bucovice is a four winged building built in the fortified palace style which was very popular in Italian Renaissance castles through the 16th and 17 centuries. The chateau features a three-storey arcaded courtyard as well as a garden.

View the ground plan of the castle.

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Interior view

At the end of the 16th century, Brno experienced lively building activity, which brought Renaissance elements into the Gothic town. Foreign builders and Masonic masters have contributed to this. Around forty were working on the Renaissance transformation of Brno, most of them from Italy. They came to Moravia for their earnings and for the possibility of buying cheap houses abandoned in the city after plague epidemics. One of the Italians was Pietro Gabri who came to Brno with his entire family.

Pietro Gabri was responsible for the construction of the arcaded courtyard of the castle.

View the ground plan of the castle.

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