Inigo JONES (Jones Inigo)

(1573-1652)
Born in the family of a weaver, was baptized July 19, 1573. In 1608 commissioned by the Count of Salisbury, he created a project of the New Exchange in the Strand (demolished in 1737). Around the same time it is executed drawing of the spire of the old cathedral of St.. Paul.
In 1611-1612 Jones led the architectural work in the service of the heir to the throne, Prince Henry. In 1613-1614, he visited Venice, Vicenza, Bologna, Florence, Siena, Rome and Genoa. During its journey, it made a strong impression of buildings by Andrea Palladio. In Venice, Jones met a follower of Palladio architect V. Scamozzi. In 1615 Jones was appointed chief superintendent of royal buildings.

The first major orders received by him in this position, was the construction of the palace Queens House in Greenwich. It began in 1617, but in 1619 with the death of the Queen was interrupted for a long time and was completed only in 1635. Once in 1619 burned down the old Whitehall Palace Banquet Hall, Jones picked up his recovery (room survived to our days). Construction work ended in 1622, and in 1635 set the room was painted by Rubens. In 1620, at the request of James Jones undertook a study of Stonehenge and came to the mistaken conclusion that the remains of a Roman temple. In 1623 he built a chapel near the palace of James I to mark the arrival of the bride of Prince Charles, professed Catholicism (now - Malboro Chapel House). After accession to the throne of Charles I in 1625 made a number of additions to the building of Somerset House - the future of the new residence of Queen Henrietta Maria. Another major work of this period was the project of restoration of the old cathedral of St.. Paul, which was launched in 1631. Jones attempted to give a Gothic church more classic look, has attached to the west side of the magnificent Corinthian portico. Before the revolution, works were suspended, and after the London fire of 1666 the cathedral was demolished.

Jones has created a type of urban residential house in London and made several urban activities. In 1630 he created the first London square in Covent Garden, which was later rebuilt.

In 1643, the building belonged to the king, were confiscated by the Parliament, and the position of Johns eliminated. Jones died June 21, 1652.

In his works, Jones gave up the British architectural tradition based on the principles of late Gothic architecture, and sought to adopt the classical style in the spirit of Serlio, Palladio and Scamozzi. British palladianstvo 18. was largely a continuation of the coup, carried out by Jones. The most significant of the surviving buildings Jones - Banquet Hall in Whitehall and the Queens House in Greenwich. In them he shows a great possession classical principles of architectural design. The largest collection of drawings and blueprints are in Chatsuorte Jones (designs costumes and scenery for masquerades) and Worcester College, Oxford University (including a full set of drawings made about. 1638, with the project of restructuring of the palace at Whitehall).