Architects of Madrid: Jaime Marquet
The arrival of the Bourbons produced numerous changes that led to the arrival of many French artists and architects, including the architect Jaime Marquet.
Brief biographical sketch
Jaime Marquet (Paris, 1710- Madrid, 1782)
Born in Paris in 1710, he arrived in Spain in the middle of the century at the invitation of the Duke of Alba, who met him during his time as ambassador to France and entrusted him with his residence in Piedrahita (Ávila).
Aupado by his contacts, will soon be integrated as an architect in the court, at the service of Fernando VI and Carlos III. Enter the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, which will be Honorary Director at 1759.
For his position will intervene in several of the Royal Sites, however, will go down in history to raise one of the most representative places with more history in Madrid: the Royal Post Office of Puerta del Sol.
Although he may not be the most recognizable author, Madrid reminds him with a plaque installed near his residence on Calle Alcalá 36, where he died in 1782.
Works
The construction of the Royal Post Office of Puerta del Sol was the original idea of Fernando VI, but at his death this project (commissioned by Ventura Rodríguez) was paralyzed and will not be resumed until Carlos III accedes to the throne.
Marquet will be chosen by the new king. More in line with his taste, he designed a classic French-style building, with a rectangular floor plan around two patios and three heights, with a horizontal facade built in red brick and stone.
The famous Puerta del Sol clock will be installed on the pediment in 1866, thanks to which and after the demolition of the Buen Suceso church and its bell tower, the people of Madrid were able to know the time again.
Already in the 1998th century the building began to have new uses, especially military and administrative (Ministry of the Interior, General Security Directorate during the Franco dictatorship). Since XNUMX it has been the seat of government for the Community.
It is the oldest preserved building of the Puerta del Sol, the nucleus of the social, political and commercial life of Madrid at the time and whose evolution we can follow thanks mainly to photography.
Although the Post Office is his most emblematic work, he also intervened in the real sites and especially in Aranjuez, where he was the Senior Architect.
Participate in two of the most characteristic elements of the site: the design of the radial layout of the streets and the gallery of the Casa de Oficios y Caballeros, next to the access to the palace.
It also builds the carriages and stables of the palace next to the Plaza de Abastos, and the palace of Isabel de Farnesio, today a cultural center.
Although King Carlos III was not as fond of music and theater as his predecessors, he understood the need to create leisure spaces in real places, so he pushed for the construction of the Court Theaters. Following the model that the king imports from Italy, Marquet dealt with three:
- El Real Colosseum of Carlos III of El Escorial, of neoclassical style, that conserves even the original plant. It is one of the oldest covered theaters that are preserved and is of Cultural Interest from 1995.
- The one of Aranjuez, inaugurated in 1769. It has undergone different renovations but retains several of the original elements, such as the ceiling frescoes or the wooden beams of the roof.
- And that of El Pardo Palace, which during the Franco era became a cinema, but of which previous photographs are preserved.
Gallery
