João de Castilho

João de Castilho (* 1470 in Arnuero, Cantabria, † before January 1553 in Lisbon ) was a Portuguese architect of Spanish origin.

Life and work

Castilho came across Galicia and Italy to Portugal. From 1515 he built the monastery church of Tomar and 1519 site manager of the entire monastery complex. In 1517 he was confirmed as the successor to Boytac construction manager of the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem, in 1522, he erected the cross vault of the nave of the church. In 1528, he took on the additional construction work in Batalha. Several of him, on the banks of Lisbon, built palaces were destroyed in 1755 earthquake. Castilho is considered one of the most important architects of the Manueline style. In 1561 he was knighted posthumously.