GTOFFRE'DO, MARIO GAETANO, one of the few good architects that Naples has produced, was born in that city, May 14, 1718. Greatly to the dissatisfaction of his parents, who intended him for the law, Gioffredi determined that architecture should bo his pursuit ; and he was accordiogly placed under Martino Buonocore, an architect of considerable reputation, but of little talent. The pupil was not long In finding out the mediocrity of his master, and commenced a course of private self-instruction by studying the best Neapolitan edifices. those by Fansaga and Domenico Fontana, and the writings of Vitruvius and Palladio. He further extended his studies not only to mathematics, but to antiquities and history in their connection with art, and also took lessons in design and figure-composition.
Gioffredo at the age of twenty-three began to practise in his pro fession, but for some time found no opportunity to distinguish himself. On one of his visits to Rome he solicited permission to compete for the church of San Giacomo degli Spagnuoli, then about to be rebuilt there : his application was very coldly received by the Spanish dignitary Herreros, who observed that they got their singers and not their architects from Naples; to which Gioffredo replied, he would convince them that Naples had architects also worth having. Nor did he fail to make good his word, for his designs obtained the preference, although he had to contend with Sardi, Fuga, and Vanvi telli, to the second of whom, we may observe, Milizia erroneously attributes the building.
Afterwards, though he had full employment at Naples, and on government works in Calabria Ultra, where he was for some time engaged is superintendiog the working of the iron-mines in the Valle di Cannata, he had not many opportunities of signalising himself as an architect. The principal buildings of architectural note by him at Naples are the two palazzi Campolieto and Coscia, and the Ohiesa dello Spirito Santo ; for though great public improvements, the two new streets, that of Monte Oliveto and the one called De' Pellegrini, do not properly come under the head of 'architectural works. He has however another claim to notice in an excellent work on architecture which he published in 1768, which however he did not carry on to the extent he originally contemplated.
In 1783 his services were rewarded by his being appointed the chief government architect, with a liberal salary. Soon afterwards a disorder of his eyes, brought on by excessive study, terminated in total blindness. He fell at last into a state of profound melancholy, from which death relieved him on March 8, 1785.