Chronology of Neoclassical Architecture: Origins, Emergence, and Evolution
Trace the key milestones in the history of architecture, from Greco-Roman antiquity to the Renaissance, and from the Baroque to Neoclassicism. A timeline of palaces, monuments, archaeological discoveries, and publications helps to illuminate the historical and cultural context in which Luigi Vanvitelli’s Royal Palace of Caserta was created.
Greco-Roman classical era
The Acropolis of Athens
- 6th century BC – Acropolis of Athens
- 1st century BC – “De architectura”, the foundation of Western architecture (Marcus Vitruvius Pollio)
Renaissance: 1400–1599
1400-1499
1452 – “De re aedificatoria,” a treatise on architecture (L. B. Alberti)
- 1416 – Invention of linear perspective (F. Brunelleschi)
- 1420 – Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence (F. Brunelleschi)
- 1446 – Palazzo Rucellai, Florence (L. B. Alberti)
- 1452 – *De re aedificatoria*, treatise on architecture (L. B. Alberti)
- 1464 – *De statua*, treatise on Renaissance sculpture (L. B. Alberti)
- 1480 – Discovery of Nero’s Domus Aurea. Emergence of the fashion for grotesque decoration
1499-1599
1515 – Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola (A. da Sangallo)
- 1506 – St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City (A. Bramante)
- 1515 – Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola (A. da Sangallo)
- 1523 – Laurentian Library, Florence (Michelangelo Buonarroti)
- 1530 – School of Fontainebleau (by Italian artists)
- 1546 – Dome of St. Peter’s, Rome (Michelangelo Buonarroti)
- 1546 – Louvre Palace
- 1549 – Basilica, Vicenza (A. Palladio)
- 1553 – La Rotonda, Vicenza (A. Palladio)
- 1560 – Uffizi, Florence (G. Vasari)
- 1560 – Renovation of Palazzo Pitti, Florence
- 1565 – San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice (A. Palladio)
- 1657 – St. Peter’s Square (G. L. Bernini)
- 1580 – Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza (A. Palladio)
- 1583 – Quirinal Palace, Rome
- 1589 – Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Baroque and Rococo: 1600–1750
Baroque: 1600–1699
1668 – Palace of Versailles
- 1668 – Palace of Versailles and the Grand Trianon
- 1696 – Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna
Rococ: 1700-1750
1732 – Trevi Fountain, Rome
- 1703 – Peterhof Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
- 1717 – Basilica of Superga (Filippo Juvarra)
- 1721 – Upper Belvedere, Vienna (Hildebrandt)
- 1723 – Spanish Steps, Rome (de Sanctis)
- 1729 – Stupinigi Hunting Lodge, Turin
- 1732 – Trevi Fountain, Rome
- 1732 – Facade of San Giovanni in Laterano
- 1734 – Amalienburg, Nymphenburg Palace, Munich, Germany
- 1734 – The sculptures of the Farnese Collection are transferred from Rome to Naples.
- 1735 – Royal Palace in Madrid (Filippo Juvarra), Late Baroque style
- 1741 – Facade of the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome (F. Fuga)
Chronology of Neoclassicism: 1746–1840
The Origins of Neoclassicism: 1746–1749
1748 – Discovery of Pompeii.Excavations began for the will of the King of Two Sicilies Charles III of Bourbon.
- 1746 – Villa Albani (Carlo Marchionni), Rome, Italy.
- 1748 – Discovery of Pompeii.Excavations began for the will of the King of Two Sicilies Charles III of Bourbon.
The second half of the 18th century
1756 – Were printed the “Declaration of the designs of the Royal Palace of Caserta” by Vanvitelli. Naples
- 1751 – Publication of the first volume of the “Enciclopedie” of Diderot and D’Alembert.
- 1752 – Construction of the Royal Palace of Caserta begins
- 1753 – Publication of “The analysis of the beauty” by Hogarth.
- 1753 – Foundation of the British Museum, London, UK.
- 1754 – Robert Adam began the Grand Tour in Italy. Birth of the”Adam Style”
- 1754 – Winter Palace (Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli). Was reconstructed in 1837 due to a fire. St. Petersburg, Russia.
- 1755 – Winckelmann published “Thoughts on the imitation of Greek works”.
- 1755 – Establishment of the Academy of Herculaneum in Naples, for the will of the King of Two Sicilies Charles III of Bourbon.
- 1756 – Were printed the “Declaration of the designs of the Royal Palace of Caserta” by Vanvitelli. Naples
- 1756 – Catherine Palace, St. Petersburg, Russia
- 1757 – Birth of Antonio Canova.
- 1757 – Publication of the first volume of “The antiquities of Herculaneum.”
- 1760 – Royal Palace of Stockholm.
- 1761 – “Della Magnificenza ed architettura de’ Romani” (“Of Magnificence and architecture of Romans”) (G.B. Piranesi)
- 1761 – Nymphenburg palace, Monaco, Germany
- 1762 – Petit Trianon, Versailles
- 1763 – End of the construction and equipping of the Villa Albani.
- 1763 – Winckelmann was became the Superintendent of Antiquities of Rome.
- 1764 – Church La Madeleine. Paris, France.
- 1764 – Winckelmann published the “History of art of antiquity.”
- 1765 – Small Hermitage palace (Jean-Baptiste Vallin de la Mothe and Yury Velten). St. Petersburg, Russia.
- 1768 – Foundation of the Royal Academy of Arts. London, UK.
- 1768 – Birth of the Wedgwood pottery manufacture.
- 1771 – Large Hermitage palace(Yury Velten)
- 1773 – Death of Luigi Vanvitelli, the architect of the Palace of Caserta
- 1774 – Renovation of the Belvedere of San Leucio near the Royal Palace of Caserta(L. Collecini)
- 1776 – Teatro alla Scala, Milan
- 1780 – Construction of Villa Reale, Milan
- 1792 – Alexander Palace (Giacomo Quarenghi) St. Petersburg, Russia.
- 1792 – White House, Washington, USA (James Hoban)
- 1792 – Teatro La Fenice, Venice, Italy
- 1793 – Capitol. Washington, USA.
- 1795 – National Palace of Ajuda, Lisbon, Portugal
- 1795 – Monticello, USA (T. Jefferson)
- 1796 – Napoleon, with the advice of D.V. Denon, began to plunder Italy to set up the Louvre with the Italian works of art.
Empire: 1800-1840
1812 – “Reports of décorations intérieures” (Collection of interior decoration).The book that gave birth to the Empire style. (Percier & Fontaine)
- 1801 – Place in the British Museum in London of the sculptures from the Parthenon by Phidias.
- 1807 – Construction of the Arch of Triumph. Paris, France.
- 1809 – Basilica of St. Francis of Paola in Piazza del Plebiscito. Naples, Italy. (P. Bianchi)
- 1809 – “Les Ruines de Pompéi” the book that made known Pompeii (F. Mazois)
- 1812 – “Reports of décorations intérieures” (Collection of interior decoration).The book that gave birth to the Empire style. (Percier & Fontaine)
- 1815 – Antonio Canova recovers some of the italian masterpieces stolen by the French, and he went to London to see the marbles of the Parthenon made by Phidias.
- 1816 – Inauguration of the Royal Bourbon Museum in Naples, now called the National Archaeological Museum, the most important archaeological museum in the world. Its creation was an idea of Luigi Vanvitelli.
- 1816 – Piazza del Popolo, Rome (G. Valadier)
- 1818 – Konzerthaus Berlin (Karl Friedrich Schinkel).Berlin, Germany.
- 1826 – Buckingham Palace(John Nash). London, UK.
- 1830 – Walhalla (Leo von Klenze)Regensburg, Germany.
The Nineteenth Century: 1837–1901
1851 – Crystal Palace (J. Paxton) London, UK.
- 1839 – The New Hermitage (Leo von Klenze) St. Petersburg, Russia.
- 1840 – Palace of Westminster and Big Ben. London, UK.
- 1851 – Crystal Palace (J. Paxton) London, UK.
- 1852 – Facade of the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy
- 1863 – Mole Antonelliana, Turin, Italy.
- 1865 – Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (G. Mengoni)Milan, Italy
- 1870 – Metropolitan Museum.New York, USA
- 1872 – Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna,Austria
- 1876 - Capitolio Nacional (T. Reed). Bogota, Colombia
- 1885 – Vittoriano, Rome, Italy
- 1898 – Russian Museum. St. Petersburg, Russia
XX century
1903 – Pennsylvania Station, New York (William Mead). It was demolished in 1963.
- 1910 – Pennsylvania Station, New York (McKim, Mead & White);
- 1937 – National Gallery(J. Russell Pope). Washington, USA