Early life Marcello Sparzo was born in
Urbino, Italy to Francesco di Giulio Sparzo and Donna Giulia. described him as "the natural son of Gio. Antonio Spazza." In the contract of 1573 for works in Siena, he is referred to as "Master Marcello di Giulio Sparti from Urbino." He spent his early years specializing in plastic arts at the school of
Federico Brandani, developing an original style in the tradition of
Mannerism of
Raphael and
Perino. He collaborated, alongside the Flemish painter Bernard van Rantwyck, on the elaborate stucco decorations of the
Palazzo Chigi alla Postierla, which have survived in eleven rooms to this day. His works instigated a specific stylistic trend in the Tuscan city concerning ornamentation, which endured for over a century. In 1588, he created the elaborate sculpture ensemble depicting the saints of the
Dominican order. After the departure of
Bergamasco, plastic art reached its highest levels with Sparzo in Genoa, so much so that it "competed with marbles", according to Alizeri. In the Genoese capital, he worked extensively in civil buildings and churches, including those of
San Bartolomeo degli Armeni, San Rocco di Granarolo,
San Pietro in Banchi, and San Francesco di Castelletto. Particularly significant were the works executed for the
noble family of Doria. It was
Gianandrea Doria who commissioned from him the monumental Statue of Jupiter, known as
il gigante (
the giant), dedicated to the prince-admiral
Andrea Doria. The colossal statue, dating back to 1586, stood eight meters tall and was carved in a Mannerist style; it was located in the northern gardens of the
Villa del Principe. It loomed over the valley and the harbor for 350 years, until 1935/1936, when it was even demolished because, according to the authorities, it was "bulky, and because the municipality, despite being requested, neglected to deal with it". According to Federico Alizeri, the statue was of such quality as to deserve "a praise that is very difficult for anyone who sculpts or models: that is, giving the right appearance to the colossi according to the place that receives them and according to the point from which they are intended to be viewed". Between early 1589 and 1591, he worked in the
Urbino Cathedral with Fabio Viviani, where he was also called as an expert, and later completed the work alone after Viviani's death in 1590, sculpting the four statues of
Solomon,
Elijah,
David, and
Melchizedek. Again at the initiative of the Doria family, in 1590, he executed the six statues for the church of Sant'Agostino in
Loano. In 1592, he worked on the chapel in the Church of Our Lady of Grace in
Pegli. In 1603, he oversaw the works in
San Pietro in Banchi in Genoa, adorning the dome with stuccoes depicting the
Passion of Christ, one of his masterpieces. In 1606, he worked at
Palazzo Lomellino on
Strada Nuova, In 1608, he worked at
Palazzo Madama in
Turin, overseeing various decorations and stucco coverings. and is now the headquarters of the Accademia Raffaello. On November 1, 1616, near his death, he wrote his
will expressing his wish to be buried in the church of San Francesco in
Urbino. He lived a very long life and died, according to
Soprani, almost a centenarian. ==Family==