LONGHI, Martino the Elder - b. 1534 Viggiù, d. 1591 Roma

Italian architect, part of a family of architects, the father of Onorio Longhi and the grandfather of Martino Longhi the Younger. He is also known as Martino Lunghi.

He was born in Viggiu into a family of architects, and initially worked in Germany for the Altemps family, who were relatives of the Milanese Borromeo. Later he was hired by Pope Pius IV to work, along with Giorgio Vasari and Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola to the church of Santa Croce in Bosco Marengo, the pope’s hometown (1566-72).

Longhi moved to Rome in 1569. Here he worked to Palazzo Altemps, Palazzo Borghese (the court, possibly inspired to Pellegrino Tibaldi’s modules) and designed the churches of Santa Maria della Consolazione, Palazzo Cesi-Armellini and San Girolamo degli Schiavoni. Also by Longhi is the tower of Palazzo Senatorio, in the Capitol Hill, which he modified from the original Michelangelo design.