Leopoldo Pollack (1751-1806)

Leopoldo Pollack was an Austrian-born Italian architect, celebrated as one of the chief exponents of Neoclassical architecture in Milan. Trained initially in Vienna by Paul Ulrich Trientl and Vinzenz Fischer, Pollack’s move to Milan in 1775 marked the beginning of a significant career phase as he became a pupil and collaborator of Giuseppe Piermarini.

His most notable work is the Royal Villa of Milan, also known as Villa Belgiojoso, completed between 1790 and 1796, which stands as a pinnacle of Milan’s Neoclassical buildings. Pollack’s design, influenced by Palladianism and French architectural trends, features a rusticated base and a giant order of Ionic columns, differing from Ange-Jacques Gabriel’s use of Corinthian columns at the Place de la Concorde. He was also responsible for designing the villa’s English garden.

Beyond the Royal Villa, Pollack’s collaborative efforts with Piermarini extended to the University of Pavia’s physics laboratory. Completed in 1787, this project included Ionic semi-columns and niches with statues of eminent scientists. His other significant works include Villa Casati in Muggiò, Villa Rocca-Saporti in Como, and Villa Amalia in Erba, all completed in the 1790s.