About
Although it is only one type of architectural style, this magnificent temple combines several.
The Tempio Canoviano was built in 1804 to 1818, and is the final resting place of Antonio Canova. While the structure is highly inspired by the 2nd-century Roman Pantheon, the Tempio Canoviano consists of three different cultural inspirations integrated together. There is the portico, which adheres strictly to classical Greek architectural ratios; there is the rotunda, which features a Roman-styled dome; and lastly, the apse, which is typical of early Christian architecture. With these parts brought together in the single temple building, Antonio Canova aimed to define the “soul” of neoclassical architecture and the references that it must follow. While he died in 1822, during construction on the temple, his step brother Giovanni Battista Sartori led the works until its completion in 1832.
