Juan Bautista de Toledo

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Juan Bautista de Toledo (died May 19, 1567) was a well-known Spanish sculptor and architect from Madrid.

Nothing is known of his birth or childhood, but in 1547, Toledo went to Rome and studied under Michelangelo Buonarroti. He went next to Naples, where he had been summoned by the Viceroy, Don Pietro de Toledo, to work as an architect for Charles V. He designed many buildings there, including: the Strada di Toledo (since 1870 called Strada di Roma), the church of St. Giacomo degli Spagnuoli; the square bastions to the Castello Nuovo; a large palazzo at Posillipo, and a number of fountains.

In 1559, he was summoned back to Madrid by Philip II and appointed Architect-in-Chief of the royal works in Spain. His yearly salary as architect to the Crown was at first no more than 220 ducats, because Philip's policy, with his Spanish artists at least, was to give them moderate allowances until he had tested their abilities. In Madrid, he designed the Casa de la Misericordia and the façade of the church de las Descalzas Reales. He also created works at Aceca; at the palace of Aranjuez; at Martininos de las Posadas, the palace of Cardinal Espinosa, and a villa at Esteban de Ambran for the secretary D. de Vargas. Toledo's final work was the Escorial, which he supervised until his death.

This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913.