Giovanni Maria Fontana
Architect
Born: Lugano, Switzerland - 1670
Died: 1712 (?)
Giovanni Maria Fontana was part of the great influx of foreign artists that Peter the Great invited to Russia to develop his new capital. Fontana was a baroque architect who began his Russian career in Moscow but by 1710 had made the move to St. Petersburg, where his first notable work was the completion of the Menshikov Palace on Vasilyevsky Island. Fontana worked on many projects in the city but is best known for the commissions provided by Peter's close advisor, Alexander Menshikov. Menshikov had Fontana construct several palaces, the most famous being his Grand Palace at Oranienbaum (Lomonosov).
Works: Menshikov Palace, Grand Menshikov Palace (Oranienbaum)
Connected with: Johann Gottfried Schadel, Alexander Menshikov
