Filippo Terzi

Filippo Terzi (Portuguese Filipe also Terzio, 1520 * () in Bologna; ? † 1597 in Setúbal ) was an Italian architect and builder in the service of the Portuguese kings.

The exact date of birth is not known Terzis, you just know that he came to Bologna to the world, possibly in 1520. Nor is delivered exactly when he arrived in Portugal. It is certain, however, that this happened in the reign of King Sebastian, and that he was already working in Lisbon in 1577. The year before he had been taken under contract.

The following year, accompanied Terzi, already in the role of master builder and together with the architect Nicolau de Frias, the Portuguese king on his expedition to Morocco. In the battle of Alcácer - Quibir he was captured and came only in 1579, thanks to the efforts of then- Cardinal Henry in the ransom negotiations back to Portugal.

In 1583 he was sent to Coimbra, there to supervise the work on the bridge over the river Mondego and the monasteries São Francisco and Santa Clara. There he realized continue the reconstruction of the aqueduct São Sebastião and was appointed on January 22, 1584 to the builder of the monastery in the city of Tomar. In Tomar building remember how the aqueduct and the famous cloister claustro de D. João III in the Convento de Cristo and the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Ermida to his work. By the decree of June 28, 1590 King Philip II appointed him as the architect for all the work done at my expense, which he was practically the General builders of the kingdom and the late António Rodrigues replaced in this position. In that capacity, he fell to the training of architects. For this reason, he established a school of architecture, the da Ribeira already began operations in 1594 in Paço. Sousa Viterbo later commented that Terzi was apparently the first official professor of architecture in our country.

In the exercise of its function as a royal builder Terzi toured the country and initiated construction work at various places, the works stand out in Coimbra and Palmela. In Palmela he was entrusted with the rebuilding of the monastery of the city, while the repair work on the bridge headed Mondego in Coimbra and construction Colégio de Santo Agostinho monitored. Also, some buildings in Lisbon are attributed to him, with his authorship is documentary proof in any of the cases. This includes the tower in Paço da Ribeira, the Philip II had built at the extreme southern end of the palace, but also the Juan de Herrera, the architect of the Spanish crown, might have built. He could also have been responsible for the design and construction of the church and convent of São Vicente de Fora.