La cultura de Ventura Rodríguez y la biblioteca de su sobrino Manuel Martín Rodríguez

Abstract

In recent years the figure of Ventura Rodríguez (17171785) as an architect has been successfully studied by the modern historiography. Nevertheless, his biography lacks of some essential facts, necessary for its investigation. With the new documentation which has been brought forward to this work, there has been an attempt to place his personality within a family of architects originally from Ciempozuelos, a village of Madrid. The analysis of the library of Manuel Martín Rodríguez, heir to the possessions of his uncle Ventura, will reveal the influences of his architecture. The classicism of the Roman Baroque is represented in his library with a lot of books about the ancient and modern architecture of Rome. In this same way, he learnt about the new idea of the Antiquity through the study of the most significant archeological discoveries of his time. It is possible that the neoclassic turn, always based upon the solid influence of the Roman Baroque, being experienced in his architecture in the late years, had been encouraged through both the contemplation and reading of the repertory of exhumed relics of ancient towns like Herculen or Palmyre.