Dr. Fabio Gigone

Dr. Fabio Gigone (he/him) is an educator, architect, and researcher. Currently he is academic guest at the chair for the History and Theory of architecture Prof. Dr. Maarten Delbeke, at the Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture (gta) of ETH Zurich.

He holds a degree in Architecture from the Università IUAV di Venezia and earned a PhD in the History of Architecture from the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen, and the Centre for Privacy Studies at the Faculty of Theology, University of Copenhagen (2023). His doctoral research, titled “States of Proximity: Privacy under Louis XIV in Versailles,” reconstructs the genealogy of the modern concept of privacy through an analysis of the interplay between court ceremonial practices and French palace architecture.

Dr. Gigone currently holds an Internationalisation Postdoctoral Fellowship (CF23-1239 Carlsberg Foundation 2024–26) at the chair of history and theory of architecture (gta-ETH Zurich), the Danish Academy in Rome, and the Centre for Privacy Studies (UCPH). His research interest focuses on early modern European architecture, with a particular emphasis on the concepts of privacy and immunity, as well as the roles of diplomacy and medicalization in Italy and France from the 15th to the 17th century.

Research:

The postdoctoral research project “The Architecture of Immunity: Planning, Building, and Reclaiming Baroque Rome (1656–68)” undertakes a reevaluation of the architectural history of 17th-century Rome, with a particular focus on two pivotal crises that significantly impacted its urban and architectural milieu: the outbreak of the plague (1656–57) and the diplomatic crisis involving France (1662–68). This historical epoch was marked by a legal dispute over the governance of Rome, where the Papacy sought control while foreign states vied for political influence within the urban landscape. The conflict between Pope Alexander VII (reigning from 1655 to 1667) and Louis XIV of France (reigning from 1643 to 1715) epitomised this power struggle, with both leaders employing architectural endeavours as a means to assert their political dominance in Rome.

Central to this research is the use of the concept of ‘immunity’ as a framework to elucidate the influence of power on urban development. 

It aims to discern the key actors, architectural structures, and urban policies employed by Alexander and Louis in pursuit of their parallel strategies. Through the lens of ‘immunity,’ this study unveils previously overlooked architectural dynamics that contributed to the formation of Rome’s Baroque urban identity. Ultimately, this research seeks to reevaluate the historiographical understanding of the architecture during this crucial juncture in European urban development, a historical period whose reverberations continue to influence the contemporary architectural and urban environment.