Luigi Manini

Luigi Pietro Manini, Count of Fagagna (8 March 1848 in Crema, Lombardy-Venetia, Austrian Empire – 29 June 1936 in Brescia) was an Italian set designer, architect, and painter.

Manini was responsible for some of the most striking architectural designs in Portugal; some of his most famous works include: He was born in Crema, Lombardy, Italy, and attended the school of master, Antonio Polgati, where he studied until 1861 under the direction of Professor Ferdiando Cassina in Milan and Brescia.

Thanks to the patronage of the wealthy Count of Farrobo, the Opera de São Carlos reopened in January 1834 following the end of the liberal wars.

Manini quickly dominated the market from his predecessor, Cinatti, and while collaborating with Rambois, became the new master of Portuguese set design.

When Manini turned 40 in 1888, he was invited by Emídio Navarroto to design a palace in the Buçaco mountain range which was to be used as a hunting lodge for the royal family.

This in return gave rise to working opportunities for other Venetian artists, such as Norte Júnior and Nicola Bigaglia who executed the decorative paintings, as well as the sculptor J. Machado.

Manini also painted the staircase passage in the Foz Palace and decorated the Portuguese Pavilion at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900 with an allegorical screen of the discoveries and voyages of Pedro Álvares Cabral, scenes of Fernão de Magalhães and Corte Real.

This cultural environment was the ideal breeding ground for what would be one of Manini's most spectacular architectural works: Quinta da Regaleira (Sintra).